This is Alexis. Alexis and I have been best friends since 2014.

Our personalities are rather different: while I tend to be on the quieter pensive end, Alexis is vivacious with sparkling energy. We are like yin and yang, water and fire, night and day. We are photo negatives of each other, of shadow and light with her manias and my depressions. Through our differences springs a truly beautiful friendship, one where I’m proud to call her my sister from another mister.

We have some of the most intimate and explicit conversations where we are not afraid to be ourselves–it is one of those kinds of friendships. Every woman needs one.

Halfway during my trip around the world, Alexis shared that she has Stage 2 breast cancer. It was already a stressful point of the journey. Never mind what I was going through; with something like cancer, how does one go about having to suddenly face their own mortality? It absolutely blew my mind. Nonetheless, her bravery, optimism, and fighting spirit have been inspiring to witness as she goes on to kick that cancer’s ass.

When I asked her how she is able to stay optimistic through the whole process, she said, “I may not be able to change the outcome, but I can certainly change my attitude.” The fact that she is always able to hold her own well is what drew me to her in the first place. The fact that she was the one comforting me proves her compassion and strong will, an inspiring attitude anyone could learn from. Of all the people I know, she can handle cancer the best.

The good news is that the prognosis looks good. The tumor has been removed, and she will be having chemo for the next six months. We had a head shaving party, and it was so lovely seeing her surrounded by all of her closest female friends. I have never seen someone so excited to shave all of hair off because of cancer. But it was still a beautiful thing.

It could always be a lot worse. Witnessing Alexis going through all of this has been heartbreaking, but the perspective through which she chooses to see serves as a reminder that we always have a choice on our own attitudes.

Never mind how traveling the world changes someone. Even though I often think about the complexities of life and death, I have never experienced having to actually face my own mortality. It’s not my say to explain how it all works here; those things are very subjective experiences. But Alexis has shared how it has changed her.

And we are doing everything we can to be there for her during this time.