5 People You Should Seriously Stay In Touch With As You Grow Up
This is the person who you looked up to from a distance and always felt like you wanted to be like as an adult.
1. Your cool family friend that has an awesome job
This is the adult that you somehow managed to always see eye to eye on at the dinners your parents dragged you to. They talked to you like you were already an adult when you were 11 Itand when you told them you were interested in photography/art/film they were super encouraging and invited you to swing by their studio. This is the person who you looked up to from a distance and always felt like you wanted to be like as an adult. As you get older, this person could be extremely valuable to you 1. Because they’ve known you since you were little so they can truly speak on your character 2. They potentially hold a job or career that has always inspired you and made you feel excited about life’s possibilities—they might be able to help you out!
2. Your Favorite teacher from high school
It’s easy to graduate high school and immediately swear you’ll never go back or have anything to do with that place again. That makes total sense, but the smarter move would be to continue the conversation and relationship with some of your closest professors throughout High School. They will be able to remind you of that hope/excitement you had when heading out into college and they too, know a side of you that not many other people in your life now know. They can continue to be guiding mentors even when you’re way past that stage in your life.
3. Your Childhood friend
This person was your first friend. Your mom’s held your chubby bodies on their laps as they chatted at the playground when you were just babies. You grew up fighting over crayons in pre-school together. (S)he knows all the food groups you dislike, how much of a brat you were as a 5 year old and about the time you fell down the stairs in front of the entire middle school in 6th grade.
4. Your bosses from your summer internships/jobs
Even if this person is just a manager at a café, keeping in touch with people who have had experience supervising you in any capacity is important. You never know when you’re going to have to ask for a reference or a letter of recommendation and these people are the ones who have seen you in action. Keeping in touch and updating them on your life consistently will save you more work when you ask them to write a letter of rec about you and it will also make them feel more willing. They can also make you aware of what you need to improve on!
5. The friend you met while traveling
This could mean a host family you stayed with during a semester studying abroad or just a good friend you met at a hostel while traveling alone. These people will not only be lifelong friends, but may also be able to offer you a place to stay if you decide you want to travel again later in life. They will always be a point of reference and will help you keep perspective on the size and scope of the world’s possibilities. Sometimes your small social circle and work life just aren’t enough and you should continue to expand your horizons. 
