Absolutely no one knows me the way you do!  You are truly my best friend.  I have had friends come and go throughout highschool and college, and none of them stuck the way you do! (well...I can't forget Erin)  No one has been by my side through everything and never judged.  Even hours away, you still manage to be here for me whenever I need you...whether it is a phone call, text message, facebook post...you just know!   There is no one in this world that I would rather discuss things with.  I can talk to you about anything--Chris, furbies, periods, weird sightings, family, booze, etc!   You are always there to listen and provide the best advice you possibly can.  I only hope that I be the same friend to you as you are for me.  

DaNile aint just a river in Egypt!

Okay, I must admit that I haven't been the most supportive friend regarding your trip.  It isn't that I don't support you..I am just in denial that you are actually going.  Part of me never really understood why you were going and it has taken me almost the whole year to figure it out!  I have been quite selfish...thinking "How am I going to get through this?  How dare she leave me?!"  I never stopped to think "Is this going to make her happy?".  I have finally reached the point.  I get it!  Doing this is the most selfless thing you can do.  Yes, it is going to make you happy...but it is so much more than that.  I regret not being more supportive and educating myself earlier.  Things could have been so much different.  For that, I apologize.

People may call you a lot of things regarding this trip..."crazy" comes to mind :)  I thought that myself for a long time!  She is crazy to be doing this!  She is going to get hurt...she is going to get sick..she is going to get kidnapped...she is going to forget me.  I now know that you aren't crazy..you are brave.  Brave to leave your family.  Brave to leave your friends.  Brave to leave Jacob and Emma.  Brave to enter a whole new world.  Brave to face all the dangers.  Brave to face all the heartache.  Brave to face the sickness.  Brave to face the sleepless nights.  Brave to experience something larger than yourself.  I am so proud of you.

You are truly inspiring!  You always try to find the good in every situation, the beauty in every person, and silver lining to the most tragic things. You are a beautiful woman inside and out!  Any person you meet along this race will have a brighter life simply because you were in it...even for only a moment.  Your smile is absolutely contagious.  It is impossible to not be happy when you are around.  I hope my days while you are away are not filled with clouds because my sunshine is on the opposite side of the earth.