So maybe you and your roommate are not the tightest peas in the pod, or perhaps you are, but you would like to spend more time together. Sure, you could go out to dinner, lunch or brunch or do what you usually do, and proceed to small talk through continual blocks of awkward silence or you could do something less conventional that would simultaneously allow you to learn more about each other! Here is a list of 10 activities you and your roommate (or really whoever you want to spend time with) can do to bond.
1. Go To a Concert
You pick a concert, then she picks a concert. This allows you to learn each other's tastes in music, and a person can tell a lot about someone by the music she listens to. This concert does not have to be a bank-breaker. You do not need to spend $800 to see Adele to get to know each other. You can spend $20 and go to a music cafe downtown to listen to a lesser-known artist that you really want your roomie to get to know.
2. Go Apple Picking
I am currently living in the midwest and am quickly learning that apple orchards are immensely popular. They are a great place to spend some quality time with a friend in the sunshine, plus the bushel of healthy fruit obtained at the end is also a bonus.
3. Bake Cookies
Gingerbread, oatmeal, chocolate chip, sugar, pumpkin spice... You and your roomie can each bake each other's favorite cookies, then taste test to see how you both did. Like tastes in music, tastes in sweets reveal a lot about a person. Plus, baking is fun, relaxing, and a good test of teamwork ability.
4. Binge Netflix
Grab a computer, a blanket, a few pillows, and plop your booties down on the floor for some quality television entertainment. My roommate and I are both obsessed with "Riverdale", and we watched the premiere of Season 2 on our carpet in our dorm room. We then proceeded to agree on how attractive Cole Sprouse is and how ridiculous yet fabulous Cheryl Blossom's character is. Who says nothing good comes from television?
5. Throw an Impromptu Dance Party
Blast some jams of choice (maybe some of the music you discovered at the concert you and your roomie went to), turn the lights down low, and just dance without fear of judgment. Your roommate sees you early in the morning, late at night, at your most relaxed, and at your most stressed. Your dance skills will surely not turn her away, so dance together and bond over your lack of coordination.
6. Have a Photo Shoot
As the fall season is in full swing, find a nice friend willing to take adorable pictures of you and your roommate in the changing leaves and gentle breezes. Fancy camera or not, your smiling faces will make the pictures beautiful.
7. Watch a Scary Movie
Regardless of your aversion to suspense and horror, a scary movie provides ample opportunities for inside jokes about bad acting, girlish screams, and deep fears.
8. Watch a Sad Movie
Like a scary movie, the visible emotions elicited from a sad movie are sure to create the perfect bonding ambiance.
9. Read Each Other's Favorite Books
The books a person tends to veer towards revealing what not only interests her but also what holds her interest. Books are a means of escape from reality and to share this little piece of paradise with someone is a big deal. Learn a person's favorite books, and you will surely know her 100x better.
10. Go For a Long Drive and Jam Out
Crank up the throwback jams (Hannah Montana Radio for me) and drive with nowhere to go. This time alone in the car allows for conversation about anything and everything. Plus the awful singing and dancing within the confines of a bucket seat make for great entertainment.
Bonding does not have to be bland. Sometimes the most random activities make for the best bonding experiences.
