I've felt a little guilty because some of my friends are missing me more than I am missing them.  Before I left for college I was really afraid of losing my friends and I thought that I would be texting them 24/7 and we would visit each other on weekends.  But things are much different that what I expected.  I have met some great people since I have been at Wartburg and I can tell that they will be in my life long after I graduate.  Not to say to that my friends from back home are less important, I just feel comfortable here and don't need to rely on past relationships to stay afloat.  Before I used to struggle with believing in myself enough to do things on my own.  I'd depend on my friends to do things with me and support me.  Junior year I started to gain more confidence in myself and could do things on my own.  However, I never thought I would be strong enough to go to a college independent of my friends.  Lots of kids I know are going to the same school, and even rooming with their friends.  In my opinion, coming to Wartburg without any attachments was the best thing I could do.  I can be myself now and fend for myself.  It was up to me to make new friends and meet new people, I couldn't lean on anyone else or have them help me.  I think some of my other friends are struggling to make that bond with other people because they are involved with high school friends have have trouble branching out.  I do miss my high school friends, but not as much as I thought I would.  I feel like this period in my life has been very focused on myself and the maturing I've been doing, rather than relationships. I'm very proud that I have been able to transition smoothly at Wartburg.  All the worrying I did in the months before I came to Wartburg was almost for nothing! That was a lot of wasted energy.  I was so worried that not having my closest friends around me would inhibit me from doing things, when actually, I think it is just the opposite.  If I were to have followed one of my closest friends I would have prevented myself from being myself by relying on my friends.  Overall, I'm finding the balance between all of my friends and, most importantly, myself.