As an introvert, I find it important to keep myself surrounded by a few very close friends. These six friends became my bridesmaids at my wedding, and as I selected which girls I wanted standing beside me on my wedding day, I started to think about how different my friendship was with each one.
My friendships look nothing alike and I’m thankful for that. There’s no one-size-fits-all for friends, but each personality brings a unique relationship and plays a meaningful role in my life.
There are a million different kinds of friendships, but here are six:
1. Your ultimate BFF.
- [Image description: A gif of a girl saying “you are my best friend.”] Via giphy
This is the friend who makes me laugh endlessly but is also always full of wise advice. We’re the kind of friends who do photo shoots every time we get together and have a Pinterest board full of cute best friend quotes. We have matching outfits (yes, plural) and braided our hair together once.
She’s the ideal friend for watching chick flicks or for some guy talk, and she’s absolutely the person you want around when you’re getting ready for a fancy event.
2. The big sister.
- [Image description: A gif of two sisters; one sister grabs and hugs the other sister.] Via giphy
In my case, this friend literally is my sister, but she doesn’t have to be related by blood.
She’s the friend that’s been around forever; you actually can’t remember a time in your life where she wasn’t somewhere in the picture. She’s also the friend you turn to for serious advice and, though you would never admit it, the friend you’ve always looked up to.
You kind of want to be like her and you consider her the ultimate role model, but she also knows how to have a lot of fun.
3. Your travel BFF.
- [Image description: A gif of two people walking around different cities.] Via giphy
This friend is all about adventure and exploration. Not only does she love to travel but she’s adamant about traveling the right way: getting away from too much tourism, surrounding yourself by the culture, staying in sketchy places just for the experience.
This friendship is one that handles change well because when you travel with someone you both learn and change and grow closer.
4. Your work BFF.
- [Image description: A gif of a girl saying, “I’m planning on writing an article that exposes all of my vulnerabilities to the entire internet.”] Via giphy
This is the friend you met through your college major or at your job.
In my case, this is my writer friend because we met through our passion for words and our dedication to making a living out of writing, no matter what anyone told us. She’s important because I can turn to her for help or advice, but I can also vent to her when things get frustrating and she understands.
She’s also critical because she’s familiar with my hopes and dreams and can encourage me to keep heading towards the goal even when I feel like giving up.
5. Your college BFF.
- [Image description: A gif of a girl telling a boy, “It’s a cool book, you’ve gotta admit.] Via giphy
Honestly, most of my friends have a little bit of this trait because I’m all about a good story and have a way of latching on to people who are similar.
This friend loves learning, though not necessarily academic, and is full of interesting facts and stimulating discussions. She’s the thinker and the friend who makes sure you’re also thinking, whether it’s by starting an argument or sending you a must-read book in the mail.
6. Your college roommate.
- [Image description: A gif of two roommates dancing together.] Via giphy
I had the same roommate for all four years of college and we clicked so well. We knew all about each other’s habits and routines and we had a system down for just about anything. This was my Netflix friend, my complain-about-school friend, my midnight-rant friend.
We spent so many moments laying on the floor of our room talking about anything and everything. I definitely wouldn’t be able to live with all of my friends, but this friend is hard to live without.
