I remember the summer before I left for college as one of the most naïve times of my life; that’s not to say college isn’t, you only find these things out in retrospect. I was amped to go to college in the fall. I was excited to have a buffet at my disposal three meals a day, to have no parental control and to be close to all my friends. I didn’t think about what I was leaving until I had already left it.

After a couple months of college, I began to feel like something was missing. Like a part of my life a couple months prior was absent now. Of course, this missing piece was my family.

I, like many of you, spent the first 18 years of my life with my family. You can’t spend that much time with someone and not become dependent. I’m not talking about dependence in terms of food and shelter; I’m talking about a social dependence.

Halfway through my freshman year, I realized how much I depended on all the little intricacies of family life to brighten my day. I missed my little sister misreading words like it was her job: “celestial seasonings” was always read as “testicle seasonings.” I missed my mom groaning at each punch line Comedy Central put out and I missed my dad laughing even harder for it.

I hate that in the moment I did not realize how much I love the little intricacies of life with the people around me. In the final months I have left, I’m not going to make the same mistake twice.

I’ve come to find what I love the most about my group of friends is our co-dependence. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was re-released in 3D on Feb. 10. Since my friends and I first heard about it, we’ve been trying to see it. It’s been a little over two weeks and we’re not any closer to seeing it.

On the surface, there is no reason for our failure. Money isn’t a problem. While tickets for 3D movies do run around $14, none of us have any problems with spending money we don’t have. It’s not like we haven’t seen each other, six of us live in the same house, or had the time—on Sunday an hour was spent listening to a sleep machine mix rain sounds with Native American flute melodies.

We never saw it because there was never a time where all five of us could see it together. Sure, there were times where four out of five could, but never a time where everyone could. We’d rather not see it at all than have someone miss out on the experience. “It’s an all-for-one, one-for-all” attitude I don’t think will come around again.

Yes, on the surface this dependence seems to be something negative. However, the same dependence that makes some decisions difficult makes the daily grind bearable. You know whom you’re going to spend your time with and you know it’s going to be time well spent. You know you’ll always have someone willing to pick you up across town for a chicken biscuit in the morning.

I know my situation is not unique to me. I know many of you reading are thinking you have a similar relationship with your friends. If that is the case, recognize it’s a fleeting gift. We are only offered this gift due to our stage in life. Never will we have this much freedom and live in such proximity to our friends. This is the peak of your “crew love” and all it has to offer.

Cherish it while you have it. I cannot tell you how much I am dreading the end of my time at N.C . State. It has nothing to do with what lies ahead, but has everything to do with what I am leaving behind.