Housing is always an issue after leaving the secure space of a dorm room. 

Coming out of the dorms is a stressful transition, and as you start to think about whom you might live with, the list of pros and cons start to pile up. “She’s this, he’s that,” are the only words that circulate in your head as you try to find an affordable place to rent and finish out your first year of college before going home for the summer. The drama of finding a place is not something to be taken lightly.

I was lucky. I found four roommates and a house walking distance from campus. As we watched others scramble to find roommates, we searched on Pinterest for cute room ideas and crafts to decorate with. Life was easy for us, until the landlord sold our house. 

So we joined the masses. We were 5 girls wanting a five-bedroom house, close to the school, little rent, in a safe neighborhood…and it just couldn’t be done. Our friendships were strained, and time was running out.  As we came close to the end of the year, panic struck. Soon five became three, and in the last weeks of school we stumbled upon a hidden gem, 231.

 After many calls with realtors, searches on Zillow and debates with friends we found our place: The Manor. Over the summer worries filled my mind: was I with the right people? Were they clean? Was our house going to be in a constant feud?

 As I pulled up to my driveway, late August, all these fears were relinquished.  I stepped into my bedroom and instantly knew it was right. I waited excitedly for my two new housemates to arrive. 

The first morning we all came out of our bedrooms and greeted each other with a huge hug. Today we whisper goodnight to each other through cracked doors, tuck each other in, laugh until late into the night and talk until our throats are dry.  I never thought I would have conversations about how Simba from the Lion King is a classic teenage boy or how Edward from Twilight would be a great husband, as he’d keep the room cold; nor did I think I’d fall in love with a Zumba hater and a Basketball player but I did. 

My housemates have given a new definition to home. It hasn't even been a year, but it feels like a lifetime. We are three peas in a pod. Yes we all have our flaws, we all have annoying traits, but we are all equally weird and we work together. As cliché as it is, my housemates are both my sisters in Greek life and a part of my family.  

When there is change there are trials. It is challenging finding the right place, but at the end of the day you wind up with whom you are meant to live with. Whether it is someone who you fight with, someone who tests all your values, or people you love, there is always something to learn. I found the perfect duo, and they found the perfect place in my heart. I look forward to all the many weird and wonderful adventures ahead, and I am proud to call myself a Manor Girl.