5581. That’s the number of miles separating me from my best friend. This wonderful girl, who used to be but 5 houses away, is now on the other side of the world. But does that change anything? Not for us.

It has been almost a year since the time I last saw her. I remember taking a picture together on my laptop, not knowing that it would our final moment together. Just her name overwhelms me with nostalgia, for all those memories we had made over our years together. I remember the day I met her, we were introduced by a mutual friend and all I could think was, “she seems so nice,” and boy was I right. Ever since then we have been nothing less than sisters.

I could recall when we had harbored a stray cat and provided food and shelter for it. There was that time we had played dress up with my tiny maltese dog, smothering him with scarves and hats of all sorts. I remember how our parents had left us both on Christmas and we were able to spend it together. And of course, who could forget the infinite amount of movie nights we have had.

Now all we have to communicate is our electronics. Our regular slumber parties transformed in skype-sleepovers, and all our hilarious discussions, now come up monotonous in Lucia Grande font, thanks to Facebook chat. But personally, nothing has changed.

She still knows all of my secrets, I still confide all my worries with her. All the way on the other side of the earth she knows all about my crush, my latest family argument, and that hilarious thing my dog did this morning during breakfast. Nina, even though you’re so far away, you are still my best friend, I still love you more that the world… and NO distance will ever change that.