--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It seems impossibly, unbelievably long…" description: "\"“It seems impossibly, unbelievably long ago—when I could sit in a room with carpet, when we could spend days messing around, doing nothing in each othe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/lauren-oliver-109_best-friend_it-seems-impossibly-unbelievably-long-ag_711474.jpg" --- # It seems impossibly, unbelievably long ago—when I could… ![“It seems impossibly, unbelievably long ago—when I could sit in a room with carpet, when we could spend days messing around, doing nothing in each other’s company. I didn’t realize then what a privilege that was: to be bored with your best friend; to have time to waste.” quote by Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/lauren-oliver-109_best-friend_it-seems-impossibly-unbelievably-long-ag_711474.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/lauren-oliver-109_best-friend_it-seems-impossibly-unbelievably-long-ag_711474.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/lauren-oliver-109_best-friend_it-seems-impossibly-unbelievably-long-ag_711474.jpg) > ““It seems impossibly, unbelievably long ago—when I could sit in a room with carpet, when we could spend days messing around, doing nothing in each other’s company. I didn’t realize then what a privilege that was: to be bored with your best friend; to have time to waste.”” [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reflects on how modern life’s busyness erodes simple, unstructured time with close friends, which is a rare privilege. **In simple terms:** We miss the value of idle time with friends. Key Takeaway Cherish and schedule idle moments with loved ones. Themes friendship time mindfulness nostalgia Mood reflective nostalgic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - family gatherings - college dorms - long road trips - remote work breaks Key Concepts privilege boredom presence Questions to Reflect On - How can you create intentional idle time? - What does boredom reveal about your relationships? A Different Perspective Modern schedules often leave little room for unplanned leisure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-friend/) [Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/) [Friend Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend-time-344085/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Privilege Bored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege-bored-4425328/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Waste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-waste/) ## Related quotes > [I didn't realize then what a privilege that was: to be bored with your best friend; to have time to waste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-didn-t-realize-then-what-a-privilege-that-was-to-be-bored-with-your/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Me and my best friend of all time :) love you maddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamika-leeigh/me-and-my-best-friend-of-all-time-love-you-maddy/) [Tamika-leeigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamika-leeigh/) > [What greater happiness is there than the privilege of being bored together?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-sittenfeld/what-greater-happiness-is-there-than-the-privilege-of-being-bored/) [Curtis Sittenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-sittenfeld/) > [I love it when you can talk to an old friend for the first time in a long while and its like nothing has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-it-when-you-can-talk-to-an-old-friend-for-the-first-time-in-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone just wasting time because they have so much of it to waste, minutes slipping by on who's with who and did you hear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/everyone-just-wasting-time-because-they-have-so-much-of-it-to-waste/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Wake up my friend!This is the time of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewshy/wake-up-my-friend-this-is-the-time-of-your-life/) [Ewshy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewshy/) > [Everyone to whom you call a FRIEND, is not actually a Friend. Time reveals the identity of everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fawad-ahmad/everyone-to-whom-you-call-a-friend-is-not-actually-a-friend-time/) [Fawad Ahmad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fawad-ahmad/) > [If you're really my friend then you're my friend all the time. Not when it's just convenient for you at the moment!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-amshey/if-you-re-really-my-friend-then-you-re-my-friend-all-the-time-not/) [Terri Amshey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-amshey/) > [You know he's invested when he doesn't treat his 'friend time' and 'girlfriend time' as mutually exclusive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-hussey/you-know-he-s-invested-when-he-doesn-t-treat-his-friend-time-and/) [Matthew Hussey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-hussey/) > [My friend and I do this all the time to my other friend, but with us, it's either The Hunger Games, or Mean Girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-friend-and-i-do-this-all-the-time-to-my-other-friend-but-with-us/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A good book is like a good friend. Time spent together is never wasted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/a-good-book-is-like-a-good-friend-time-spent-together-is-never-wasted/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [Im just here to be your friend. Your best friend, one last time. -Jacob Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn/im-just-here-to-be-your-friend-your-best-friend-one-last-time-jacob/) [The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn/) > [Beet friend: what time is it ? Me: summertime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/beet-friend-what-time-is-it-me-summertime/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Imagine you had a friend who was there for you all the time and you were there for them, but they stopped being there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/imagine-you-had-a-friend-who-was-there-for-you-all-the-time-and-you/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [In your time of trouble, I wish that I could be the one that you'd call at night. When you needed a friend in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhine29/in-your-time-of-trouble-i-wish-that-i-could-be-the-one-that-you-d/) [Mhine29](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhine29/) ## More by Lauren Oliver > [“My aunt Carol hasn’t heard her say a word in the whole six years and three months of Grace’s life—not a single syllable. Carol…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/my-aunt-carol-hasn-t-heard-her-say-a-word-in-the-whole-six-years-and/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [This is what happens when you try to help people. You get screwed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/this-is-what-happens-when-you-try-to-help-people-you-get-screwed/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [We'll walk together holding hands, and kiss in broad daylight, and love each other as much as we want to, and no one will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/we-ll-walk-together-holding-hands-and-kiss-in-broad-daylight-and-love/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“It seem absurd to me that they don't know, haven't felt any change or tremor, even as my life has been completely turned upside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-seem-absurd-to-me-that-they-don-t-know-haven-t-felt-any-change-or/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“At least when I'm sleeping I can dream myself back to Alex, can dream myself into a different world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/at-least-when-i-m-sleeping-i-can-dream-myself-back-to-alex-can-dream/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [People are like ants: Just a few of them give all the orders. And most of them spend their lives getting squashed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/people-are-like-ants-just-a-few-of-them-give-all-the-orders-and-most/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Summer explodes into Portland. In early June the heat was there but not the color--the green were still pale and tentative, the morning had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/summer-explodes-into-portland-in-early-june-the-heat-was-there-but/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Mistake, mistake, mistake. A strange word: stinging, somehow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/mistake-mistake-mistake-a-strange-word-stinging-somehow/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [I wonder if it's ever really possible to know the truth about someone else, or if the best we can do is just stumble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-wonder-if-it-s-ever-really-possible-to-know-the-truth-about-someone/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“Julian is somewhere among those lights, in that blur of people and buildings. I wonder whether he's scared. I wonder whether he's thinking of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/julian-is-somewhere-among-those-lights-in-that-blur-of-people-and/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [A room full of words that are nearly the truth but not quite, each note fluttering off the steam of its rose like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/a-room-full-of-words-that-are-nearly-the-truth-but-not-quite-each/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“She’s the kind of person who makes you feel drunk just by being around her, like suddenly the world’s edges are dulled and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/she-s-the-kind-of-person-who-makes-you-feel-drunk-just-by-being/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“Stop!” His voice rings out sharply, hard as a slap. He releases me and I stumble backward. “Alex is dead, do you hear me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/stop-his-voice-rings-out-sharply-hard-as-a-slap-he-releases-me-and-i/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [..in that moment i realize how much i love the little everyday routines of my life..the details that are my life's special pattern, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/in-that-moment-i-realize-how-much-i-love-the-little-everyday-routines/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“You can't judge a book by its steel-toed combat boots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/you-can-t-judge-a-book-by-its-steel-toed-combat-boots/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) [Explore all 1,181 Lauren Oliver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) ## More Best friend quotes > [“But my best friend from college was silent for a long time. She, of all of my friends, had seen the parade of sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/but-my-best-friend-from-college-was-silent-for-a-long-time-she-of-all/) [Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [I fell in love with my best friend, but I know that if it doesn't last, it will never be the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-yang/i-fell-in-love-with-my-best-friend-but-i-know-that-if-it-doesn-t-last/) [Shelly Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-yang/) > [A best friend isn't someone who's just always there for you.Its someone who understands you a bit more than you understand yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/a-best-friend-isn-t-someone-who-s-just-always-there-for-you-its/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Back home I get to see my old friends!(: But they don't understand the change in me and I can't explain it to them...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade/back-home-i-get-to-see-my-old-friends-but-they-don-t-understand-the/) [Jade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade/) > [This goes out to someone that was Once the most important person in my life I didn't realize it at the time I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aviation/this-goes-out-to-someone-that-was-once-the-most-important-person-in/) [Aviation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aviation/) > [You’re crazy,” said her best friend, Angela, as the bell rang to signal five minutes before the first class on the first day back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/you-re-crazy-said-her-best-friend-angela-as-the-bell-rang-to-signal/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [Sometimes the right people can make your day. They're called best friends :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/sometimes-the-right-people-can-make-your-day-they-re-called-best/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Here is your third gift from Me once again..I had a fourth gift it was about me making a video telling you how much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilbear/here-is-your-third-gift-from-me-once-again-i-had-a-fourth-gift-it-was/) [LilBear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilbear/) > [Our friendship is like a cup of tea¦a special blend of you and me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orebela-gbenga/our-friendship-is-like-a-cup-of-tea-a-special-blend-of-you-and-me/) [Orebela Gbenga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orebela-gbenga/) > [When you have the most beautiful best friend in the world what more could I ask for I love you Tay :) you mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick/when-you-have-the-most-beautiful-best-friend-in-the-world-what-more/) [Nick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick/) > [I believe in God, because he is the only thing that kept me going. He's my best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-hahn/i-believe-in-god-because-he-is-the-only-thing-that-kept-me-going-he-s/) [Jessica Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-hahn/) > [ONE stone enough to break a glass,,, ONE sentence is enough to break a heart,,, FIRST sight is enough to fall in love,,, ONE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-stone-enough-to-break-a-glass-one-sentence-is-enough-to-break-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A Real Man will help build his woman's self esteem not break it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-s-voice/a-real-man-will-help-build-his-woman-s-self-esteem-not-break-it/) [Lisa's Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-s-voice/) [Browse all 6,524 Best friend quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-friend/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It seems impossibly, unbelievably long ago—when I could sit in a room with carpet, when we could spend days messing around, doing nothing in each other’s company. 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