To my lovely house,

Having been home with my family for Thanksgiving break and being away from the house for a week, I have realized just how thankful I am that you have come into my life this year. Moving in at the beginning of the semester, I really did not know what to expect. I only knew of a few of you and had not really talked to you since freshman year, but I'm glad I got to know you.

Thank you for always greeting people when they walk in the door. An act as simple as yelling “Friends?!” whenever the door opens always makes me feel welcome whenever I walk in after class.

Thank you for hanging out in the common room every night, working or just talking until 1 a.m. My room and the library are no longer where I spend 90 percent of my time and I could not be happier about that. It may take me longer to get my work done some days, but it’s always worth it.

Thank you for yelling at me to do my homework at 1 a.m. when it’s due for my 9:30 a.m. class on Fridays. Because you know it’s never started before 11 p.m. even though I’ve had the week to do it.

Thank you for getting my butt to the gym at an ungodly early hour. I may agree to it the night before and be all for it, but when it comes to actually getting up and ready, it’s always nice to have someone pulling me out the door.

Thank you for being there when I need to rant. Whether it's about school, my job or about life, someone is always there to lend an ear when I need it and give me advice even if I don’t want to hear it.

Thank you for taking me to the ER on a Saturday night, and dropping everything to make sure I’m OK. Also, for diagnosing me accurately in less time than it took the hospital.

Thank you for Sundays spent watching football, doing homework and ordering Chinese food. While Friday and Saturday can be fun and crazy, I always find myself so excited to hang around and eat lo mein and crab rangoons in comfy clothes with no judgment.

Thank you for embracing me for the weirdo that I am. I may be the "weird theater friend" in the house, and can sometimes be over dramatic, but you all are always accepting of it. An added thank you for not complaining when I blast show tunes in my room.

And finally, thank you for becoming my second family. From family meals to having life chats at 3 a.m., I know that we have each other's backs and love each other no matter how crazy we all can be.

While I love spending time at home with my family, I could not wait to come back and start decorating our house for the holidays (hundreds of newspaper snowflakes included), and hanging out with you all in our little home on campus. You are the actual best. Here’s to another amazing semester together.

With love,

Your housemate