What Do You Do When Your Person Moves 1,431 miles Away?

The past 365+ days have tested me.

We celebrated the one-year anniversary of my grandfather’s death due to Alzheimer’s. I hate the word Alzheimer’s with a passion. It robbed me of the patriarch of my family.

In January, my brother – my voice of reason, the calm to my crazy – moved to Chicago. I can’t tell him all of the obnoxious things about my day, complain about my kids or have him make me the best Manhattan I have ever tasted.

In September, my person, my best friend and my partner in crime, moved to Boston. I remember the day she told me she was moving. It felt like I was punched in the gut.

I have many acquaintances, but I can count on one hand the number of true friends I have in my life. Megahn is number one on that list. She is my advocate, my biggest cheerleader and my number one fan. She is my person.

What do you do when your person moves 1,431 miles away? Yes, I have calculated the distance via Google.

your person
In 2012, my best friend, Megahn, and I drove to Allen Field House to watch KU play in the NCAA Championship game in 2012.

She has been by my side for the last 16 years. Even though we do not live in the same city, it is comforting to know that she’s just a short three-hour car drive away. Many weekends, we have jumped in the car to visit each other. 

During college, we got each other through break ups, late night study sessions, many long nights on Mass Street and of course, the subsequent hangovers. She was with me as we crossed the stage as young journalism school graduates. She was by my side as we started our careers. How many people get a first job at the same company as their person?!

She was next to me on my wedding day and I was next to her on her wedding day. She was the first person I called when I found out I was pregnant with my first child and the first person I called from the delivery room. She listened to me sob as I miscarried my second child and made that three-hour car drive just to check up on me. When I got pregnant a third time, she kept me sane as I questioned everything happening to my body and in constant worry that I would lose this baby, too. Her strength and compassion led me to ask her to be my third child’s godmother.

When my grandma was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer, she was the first one at our doorstep to deliver a week’s worth of meals so we didn’t have to cook. When my grandma received her second cancer diagnosis, she made that three hour drive, again, to watch my kids so I could be at the hospital as my grandma had a procedure to remove her left breast. That is a true friend. That is why she is my person.

She is the one person I know will not judge me; she is my sister and my best friend. I am slowly trying to accept that the three-hour car drive is now a three-hour and 30 minute plane trip from gate to gate or a 21 hour and 35 minute car drive.

“A strong friendship doesn’t need daily conversation, doesn’t always need togetherness; as long as the relationship lives in the heart, true friends will never part.” ~ Author unknown

Jessica Salazar Collins
Jessica Salazar Collins is a momma of two boys, 11-year-old Joshua Arturo and 5-year-old Trinidad Ramon. Jessica was born and raised in Kansas City, Mo., (she lived in Westport before it was cool) and is the only KU Jayhawk graduate in a family of Mizzou Tigers. She loves all things Frida Kahlo, chocolate and superhero related (boy mom necessity). In her spare time, Jessica likes to search the web for all things about Tangancícuaro, Michoacán (the mother land), low carb recipes and tips on understanding Marvel comics. Jessica is a third generation Latina trying to keep alive her Mexican traditions with her sons.