An email arrived, a reply from a friend regarding my birthday invitation. As I will be celebrating it in the Netherlands and she resides in the US she is unable to make it. "We'll have a little celebration for you in New Orleans..."

A rush of missing gripped my heart. I miss my friend. I met her in Paris during our semester abroad last Fall. We met during the introduction weekend, she was a nice American girl living 2 storeys above my flat. Foreigners in a country we were excited to explore, we became friends. We travelled together, found joy in croissants and brie, shared bottles of wine.

After 4 months, politeness subsided and we stopped being nice to each other. That was when we became friends. Rough moments in missing families, lives prior, friends and boyfriends. It felt so long yet so short now.

When I was waiting for my train back to Rotterdam in December, talking to her in person for one last time over a glass of beer in Gare du Nord, did we finally realize how far we will be. We both know it will be years until we can poke and laugh at each other again for inherent loserness, perhaps that was what made it so hard.

Missings.

The bitterness reminds one to appreciate each moment, each person, you and me. Wake up, tell those you love just that, that you love them. For everything can change in the blink of an eye. One day we are going to wake up with just that. Missings.

Don't let it pass you by.

I miss you, friend, wherever you are.