Distance Is Just a Number: Our Buddy Club Story

Burçin is your Student Ambassador in Türkiye, who runs the Cooking & Baking Club.

The First Click: Joining Buddy Club

When I first joined the Hudson Global Community, the very first thing that caught my attention was the message: “Join the Best Buddy Club! Talk with different people from different countries! Make new buddies!”

The excitement I felt was immediate. I remember thinking, “Oh my God, I’m going to get to know someone I randomly got matched with, and we will be totally different.” I was so excited and curious, and I immediately clicked on the club application. Just like that, I was added to the club.

All the “What Ifs”: Fear of Differences

When they first sent the poll, “Do you want a best buddy for this month?”, I started thinking.

We will be so different. We grew up in very different cultures and countries, maybe even in completely different types of families. Maybe there will be an age difference. Maybe there will be a language barrier. Maybe we will not talk much, or we will not have a connection at all. Maybe we will not have anything in common. Maybe we will not share the same hobbies or interests. Maybe we will not be anything like friends.

First Matches, Fleeting Connections

But suddenly, I was matched with a very kind girl. We talked for a couple of weeks, but then she graduated, so we could not build a strong bond. After that, every month I was matched with a few different people as well.

When Expectations Changed

Then one day, they matched me with someone who seemed so energetic, so smiley, like the real-life version of sunshine. Still, I thought we would probably talk for a few days and then slowly stop.

But I was wrong.

Effort Across Time Zones

She really made an effort to get to know me. I was very busy with academics and had some small health problems, and we also had a very big time difference. But she texted me every week, asking about my day, how I was, my lessons, and my life. She asked about everything you can think of.

From Occasional Chats to Everyday Conversations

Then one week, in October last year, we were both finally free. We told each other that we should talk more and build strong communication to create a good and real friendship.

After that week, we started talking every single day. I really mean every single day.

A Friendship That Arrived First

It has been 7 to 8 months since we met, but it feels like an 8-year-long friendship to me. I truly mean that. She was there for me even before some of my friends in my own country, even the ones who live just five minutes away from me. She was the first person I found comfort in when I really needed it. She reached me before anyone else.

Nine Hours Apart, Still Side by Side

We have a nine hour time difference. She lives in Mexico, and I live in Turkey, on the other side of the world. But still, she was always the first to listen to me and the first to understand me. And she did not do this as a responsibility or obligation. She did it because she truly knows how to be a friend.

Rare Friendships in Our Generation

In our generation, it is really hard to find a true friend. I am very serious about this. You go to school, kindergarten, middle school, high school, university, and it is always difficult. You make some friends, yes. People you have fun with, people you share secrets or problems with. People will listen, because it is in our nature to listen. But the important question is: do they truly understand you? And are they always there for you?

These kinds of friendships are very rare. Especially friendships that can make you feel this way, even if they are long distance, or even if you have only known each other for a few months. But with her, I truly feel all of this.

Different Pieces, One Puzzle

She is the kind of friend I can still be a child with. I can talk silly with her, have long FaceTime calls, talk about school, share small gossip, and ask for help, even if it is just a little motivation that I need. And because of all of this, we do not feel the distance between us.

As we got to know each other more, we realized that we are actually very similar in many ways, even though we also have big differences.

Our differences, our cultures, time zones, families, languages, beliefs, physical and mental differences, music tastes, movie and show preferences, hobbies, favorite colors, lessons, schools, countries, continents, foods, and dreams, all of these are like puzzle pieces for us. We complete each other through these differences. Our friendship grows because of them. That is why we are so balanced and understanding toward each other.

The Power of Honest Communication

That is why we have such healthy communication, because we try to understand each other first, considering all of these differences, and then we look at problems from different perspectives.

We always try to keep our communication open. This is the most important and also the most sensitive part of a friendship. If we are not available, we say it. If we do not want to talk, we say it. If something makes us uncomfortable, we talk about it. We are not completely open about everything, but we are open about the important things. And we are really good at doing this.

Growing Together, Dreaming Ahead

Now, as a result of all our efforts, we have a really strong friendship. We try to talk as much as we can. We motivate each other about our dreams, our small goals, and our achievements. We plan future trips, meet-ups, and activities we can do both online and in real life. We learn new things from each other every day and help each other grow.

Honestly, I would love to have her as my university roommate one day!

More Than a Match: A Lifetime Memory

Hudson Global Scholars truly gave me one of the best things it could, and I am so grateful for that.

In conclusion, all the distance and differences made our friendship stronger than it would normally be. So do not overthink like I did when I first joined. Try to talk, try to learn, and be open to everything. We are only teenagers once, so collect as many memories as you can.

Even if one day we lose contact, I will always remember her and every friend I made during this beautiful phase of my life. “People say don’t look too far for your luck; sometimes it’s actually far away.”

Lastly, I love her, and I am so grateful to have her in my life. I hope we will stay in each other’s lives in the future too. I am truly happy to call her my best friend.