Left to right: Copy Chief Faith Siegel and her friends Aurora Martin and Grace Traster ring in 2026 in Mount Pleasant, Mich. Though the trio of hometown best friends may not be physically together often, they know they will always stay close. Photos by Faith Siegel
The moment I boarded the California-bound plane that took me to my first year at Pepperdine, I knew my life would change monumentally — I just wasn’t sure exactly how.
In the four years since then, I’ve encountered this change in every aspect of my life. From moving cross-country from Michigan to a place I’d only visited twice before to traveling the world with some of my best friends, I’ve grown into myself more than I could have ever imagined.
Naturally, this profound growth hasn’t been without its difficulties. Being an out-of-state student means I left all familiarity I’d been born and raised around, including my family and close friends of almost 10 years.
However, having this blank slate also meant I had the drive to build my own community here from the ground up, something I’m quite proud of; I absolutely adore the people I’ve grown close with during my undergraduate years. At the same time, these newer relationships don’t change how much I treasure the ones I have back home.
Siegel (left) and Allison Lincicome, her roommate of four years, laugh in Detroit on Dec. 12. The pair frequently traveled together while studying abroad, and they have visited each other’s hometowns.
This realization has led me to a catch-22 of sorts: wherever I go, I’m missing someone, someplace and something. I miss California when I’m home, I miss home when I’m in California and if I’m anywhere else, I’m likely missing both.
Additionally, as the post-grad world seems to approach more swiftly than ever, I’m forced to recognize the reality of my loved ones’ imminent dispersal. Some of my friends are returning to their homes for a gap year, some are attending graduate school overseas, some are moving to New York City or Washington, D.C., and I don’t even know where I’ll be in one year’s time.
As I think about this broad spread, it’s easy to feel intimidated and disheartened. Will there ever be a time when all of the people I love are all together?
The short answer is “it’s unlikely,” but this dilemma also provides the opportunity for a uniquely positive perspective.
How beautiful is it that I always have something to miss? How wonderful is it that I love so many people, places and things that it’s impossible to have them together all at once?
I could choose to view my life as incomplete, never having everything that’s important to me in one place. But when I zoom out, with gratefulness and intention, I discover that these scattered pieces compose a stunning mosaic.
Leaving loved ones never gets easier, but I know with one goodbye hug upon departure, another hello hug always awaits me upon arrival. Though I may never have everyone I love in the same room, I know I hold all of this love within myself, and I take it with me every day.
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Contact Faith Siegel via email: faith.siegel@pepperdine.edu