I'm blessed to say that my roommate is also my best friend. Many people also experience the amazing phenomena of having your roommate be their bestie and are lucky. Living with your best friend, the person who truly understands you in a time like college that can be so confusing, is a gift. They're on the rollercoaster of school and the drama that accompanies it with you. They get what you're going through, and you know that they always have your back.
So, while they're still around, remember to thank them for...
1. Encouraging your Netflix binging.
Sometimes, we all need to just sit back and shamelessly watch 7 episodes of Arrow in a single day, because it's just been that kind of week. They know that you deserve the time off to do absolutely nothing. If you're having that kind of day, your roommate knows, and doesn't judge you when they come home and see that you haven't moved from your spot in bed. Maybe you've added a couple extra food wrappers to the space around you, but other than that, you've done nothing productive but further your knowledge of the show's plot line. But they get it, they've been there before, too.
2. Going out with you on the weekends.
The weekend has come, and while relaxing is nice, your roommate is there to encourage you to go out and have a good time. Sometimes the best way to destress is to just dance the night away with your closet friends at some party on campus. Your roommate helps you get ready: you two do your hair and make up together. You talk up all the excitement that could happen at the party, and when the night has ended, they gracefully help your drunk butt get home safely. So be sure to thank them for having your back on those kinds of weekends.
3. Helping with your shopping addictions.
No, you don't need that shirt. You have thirty exactly like it, in the same color, already sitting in your closet... unworn. Your roommate is there to tell you that. They're the reason your bank account hasn't hit the negative numbers. They know your wardrobe almost better than you do, so they are able to tell you when you do or don't need the unnecessary clothes you want to spend money on during your weekly mall trips. Your bank account thanks them, but maybe you should, too.
4. Listening to you cry.
Let's be honest. No one wants to deal with messy tears and runny noses from too much crying. But your roommate is always there for you with a box of tissues, a bar of chocolate, nail supplies and a good chick flick. They're there to make sure you get through this hard time, no matter what it is. They listen to you cry, and then continue to talk about the same problem for the whole day, with no complaint. They're serious troopers for putting up with all our drama.
5. Congratulating you on a good grade.
When they're up with you till 2 am doing the final touches on that paper, they truly understand the work you put into it. They'll ask you, consistently, if you've gotten the grade back yet. Once you do and it's an A, you bet they're just as happy for you as you are for yourself. They'll want you to print that essay out and post it on the fridge so the two of you can look at it with happiness together, just like your parent's use to do when you were little. It really raises the academic morale in your apartment and makes you feel better about how much you procrastinated the assignment.
6. Boy drama.
Your roommate has seen them come and go, and can tell which boys have made you the happiest. They know which ones you've fallen the hardest for and can't stop swooning over. So, when you don't know what to do about the boys in your life, they help you. They tell you which ones didn't treat you right and which ones made you smile and get giggly. They'll tell you to stop seeing someone because they're an asshole. They know what your heart needs, and aren't afraid to share their minds with you when they don't like the boy you're seeing. Trust them, they have your best interests at heart.
7. What do I wear?
All of us have those days where we feel self conscious. But, never fear! Your super roomie is there to tell you that no, you don't look fat, and yes, you should wear the first outfit you picked out. If you're getting chubby, they'll tell you, because they know you'd want to know. You go to the gym together, eat those salads together, and encourage one another to be the best versions of you that you can possibly attain.
The bond you've developed with your roommate at college is nothing to make light of. I know that my roommate is my absolute best friend. She gets me, one hundred percent. So, this is a low-key letter of appreciation for everything she's done for me the past 2 years of living together!
