Nine Years For This Moment

Dear Diary, 

Tomorrow I leave to go on the trip I’ve been waiting so long for. Nine years to be exact. I’ve had a pen pal, a girl named Violet, she lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. I live in Toronto, Ontario. I’ve never even been to the United States. We’ve been pen pals since we were 8 years old, we always promised that once we were old enough one of us would make the trip to the other one. I’m traveling those 2250 miles to see her in just five hours, and she has no clue. I wanted to surprise her. We will get to spend all of spring break of our senior years together. I made sure to talk to her parents to ensure that she would be available to see me. I’m about to jump out of my own skin, that’s how excited I am. 

-Evie 

Dear Diary, 

I’m on the plane to get to Nevada. Up until now, I’ve been so excited to see Violet, and I still am. But now, only one hour shy of landing, I’ve also become so nervous. This is the girl I started talking to over 9 years ago when we were in 3rd grade, all those days spent talking about school, tv shows and our dreams of meeting each other. And it all boils down to this week. What if she doesn’t like me in person? What if she has plans with other friends? What if this was all a lie? I’m kind of going crazy here, trying to get control of my nerves. This is my first time flying alone. 

-Evie 

Dear Diary, 

I’m shaking so much I have no idea how to write this. My pen pal, and closest friend, Evie Davis, walked into my house today like it was nothing. Which would be normal if we didn’t live over 2000 miles away and had never been able to meet in person. We always said, since we were kids, that we would meet, one day. But now this day is here. She’s staying for five days (after today). I can’t believe this is happening but I’m so happy it is. School has been hard and I’m beyond happy to have my best friend here. 

-Violet 

Dear Diary, 

Yesterday I walked into Violet’s house to surprise her, she was eating lunch and her mouth dropped wide open. She jumped up and we had the longest hug I think I’ve ever had. Then we spent the rest of the day just talking and watching our favourite shows. She’s actually the one who got me into journaling back when we were in 5th grade. Last night, I saw her writing in hers and it made me smile that she still journals. Today, we’re going to see a movie and then go to Violet’s favourite cafe. Then tonight I’m meeting some of her good friends and having a game night. This is all like a dream. 

-Evie 

Dear Diary, 

Today is Evie’s second full day here. Yesterday was so much fun, all of my friends met her and loved her, they got along so well. We ate good food and watched a movie at the theatres. Even my parents are happy to have her here, apparently they always knew she was coming. Today, we’re going to volunteer at a soup kitchen (were a little weird I know) then we’re going to a place to make pottery. I never want Evie to leave. 

-Violet 

Dear Diary, 

Today, university admission results came out. I applied to green university  university and was always under the impression that Violet applied to a school in her home state of Nevada. Though she’s super smart and I asked her why she didn’t apply to a higher tier and she always just said that it wasn’t right for it. Though her tone was always awkward in her messages or emails. She was like that because she also applied to green university  and didn’t want to tell me in case she got in and I didn’t or the opposite and then it wouldn’t matter anyway. But we both got in. I screamed of course and FaceTimed my parents, her parents were so happy for me. When I had quieted down she checked her own and handed her phone to me with the email and it took me a moment to register before we both screamed. For the first time in our lives, we will be right there with each other. I can’t believe it. 

-Evie 

Dear Diary, 

Evie only has the today and tomorrow left here before she goes home. Though in just a couple months we’ll be going to green university  together. I can’t believe I got in, and that Evie did too. These past couple days with her have been amazing, I’ve never been so happy. Today we’re going to have a little photo shoot and eat some good food (of course). 

-Violet 

Dear Diary, 

It’s 1:00am, and as I write this, Violet is asleep only five feet away. This is my last day here, I leave early tomorrow morning to go back to Ontario. But, I’m not ready to go. It’s been too amazing being on this vacation, that I’ve dreamed of for so long. But it’s more important just to be with Violet. She’s truly the best friend I’ve ever read, and rereading my entry from the airplane is so weird because I was worried for nothing. This trip has been everything to me and more. I can’t believe it will all be over in just over 24 hours and we will be back to emails and texting all over again. 

-Evie 

Dear Diary, 

I’m writing this just moments after I was sobbing. Evie just left for the airport. This week was absolutely perfect and everything I ever needed. I'm smiling so giddy even though I miss her so much. Our friendship has totally elevated to a new level. And I can’t believe that we’re going to university together. When I met Evie, I was a shy 8 year old who just wanted a friend. And now I’m 18 years old and so close to graduating high school and going off to university. Evie made me who I am. She’s impacted my life as much as I hope I’ve impacted hers. Evie is more than just a  pen pal, but my best friend and someone I hope will be in my life forever. 

-Violet 

Dear Diary, 

I’ll be landing at home in Ontario in just two hours and I’m still in disbelief, not only that this whole trip happened but that it’s now over. For 9 years I developed a friendship with a girl that lived 2250 miles away in a country I’d never been to. But now she’s one of my most cherished friends. Everytime we would video chat, we’d do our “handshake” though it’s hard to coordinate when you’re not with the person obviously but we did it. And everytime we signed off and said goodbye, we always knew we could never actually do it in real life, or it seemed that way. It was just a dream to actually meet, but now that we’ve done it, it feels like we’ve always known each other in person. But our goodbye that happened just hours ago, wasn’t goodbye, but see you soon, knowing that in the fall we will live near each other and go to the same school everyday, my eight year old self’s biggest dream. This was both the craziest and most fun week of my whole life, it was perfect, and meant the world to both of us. She’s my best friend, a true friend, who was happy to see me, and one day we will be sick of each other, and just that fact makes me beam with joy. Yesterday, I left my best friends house that took me nine years to get to, and one day I’ll never have to leave. 

-Evie