relationships and identity

Michael Koester has been one of my best friends since 3rd grade. Being friends with him has affected my life a lot. He has helped me through many relationships and gives good adivce, for the most part. He has a weird sense of humor and is very sarcastic. We mostly talk on AIM or at school. We only talk on the phone to make plans. I have become close with his entire family and I hang out at his house a lot, sometimes when he isn't there. His mom is like my second mom, and she is always there for me. Our families have become really close, and sometimes my dad hangs out at Mike's house more than I do.
I go over to his house at least once a week. We watch movies, play guitar hero, go on facebook, play Apples to Apples, prank call people, eat, jump on his trampoline, and do other stuff. He is Italian and his mom makes really good Italian food, so I like to go to his house for dinner. I also sleep over at his house probably once every few months. We usually don't hang out at my house because my parents don't like having people over.
Mike actually did go to Alaska a few years ago, but only for a couple weeks over the summer. If he were to move there permanently we would still talk online because although there might not be cell coverage, I'm pretty sure there is internet connection.