I have always believed true friendships to be unbelievably consistent, that in every season of life, they are riding each wave alongside you. However, as I grew older, I found that friendships were only sometimes as consistent as anticipated. As I moved away from my childhood home and later moved out of state for college, I thought that I lost every person in my life that I considered a friend. In 2018, two foreign exchange students were welcomed into my small class of only forty-four students, one of whom was my dear friend, Lina. Lina is from a small town a few hours south of Hamburg, Germany, and now attends university pursuing a law degree. When we said goodbye at the airport in June 2019, I worried that distance and lack of consistency would mean losing someone I had spent a year growing close to.

Consistency can be important in friendships, but it’s not everything. My friendship with Lina taught me that what matters most in a friendship is trust and love. Although Lina and I may go years without seeing each other, I can trust her. I can trust her with my fears, passions, and flaws. Reconnecting with Lina after four years made me realize that distance means nothing as long as trust and love are present. Thank you, Hamburg, for rekindling such a beautiful friendship.