Freshman year has come and gone, and so comes forth sophomore year of college. A new year, new friends, new dorm, and new roommates are coming my way. I’m excited to have another fresh year, but it’s also bittersweet. Even though I’m onto a new year and crisp start, I’m going to miss my old dorm, and especially my second-semester roommate. So ex-roommate here is an open letter to you.

Dear ex-roommate,

I miss you. We’ve kept in touch this summer, but nothing compares to actually being around you, and I can’t wait to see you when we get back to school. You are the best roommate that anyone could ask for really. You got me through a lot and made me laugh endlessly.

It all started one day when we met through a mutual friend. I had heard about you, but I have yet to meet you and discover who you are. One day we had finally met. You were super friendly and already I could tell you had a one of a kind personality. Little by little I started to get to know you better. I started to know your squad, your schedule, your likes and dislikes, your humor, and your heart. We talked about real life issues, politics and love. You even answered my questions that didn’t make sense, for example, how do whales and big fish get into aquariums? You went to great lengths to help me find the answer to such a silly question. That’s because you’re the kind of person that will go to lengths for someone you care about.

As things progressed we bonded over our hatred for boys, our love for dogs, and the great battle against certain living issues. I want to thank you for always having my back and being someone I could vent to. Whether it was listening to me cry and talk about how a boy had just broke my heart, vice versa, or whether it was about the long and terrible day I just had, you always had my back. You had my back before we were even roommates. When I got really sick the end of the first semester, you were there to accompany me to Rite Aid and Hannafords on my mission for soups, medicines and tissues. Even when I was too sick to get soup for myself, you were there to bring me soup. Which brings me to my next thank you.

Thank you for always having something for me to eat. As you know I’m a foodie, I love eating food, especially your tasty food. Thanks for making me breakfast and always thinking of me, and making sure to mark my cup so I don’t get the coconut one. You made the best overnight oatmeal ever, and even though it was just an online recipe, mine will never compare to how yummy yours was. Thanks for letting me eat some of your chips and dips, even though I discovered I don’t like black bean dip. Thanks for giving me peanut butter and jelly for my late night sandwiches, and especially thank you for surrendering your leftover Chinese food when you couldn’t finish it.

I’m going to miss showing you songs and movies I think you’d like, and trying to explain my weird wild lifestyle to you. I’m also going to miss our deep thought talks when we’re about to hit the hay. I’ll even miss your loud fidgeting when the door was locked and you were trying to get into the room, even when I was napping. We didn’t go to the dining hall too much together because I was always too scared to interfere with the squad time, but when we did, every time I think you introduced me to a new food. Crapes and shrimp scampi have become my new favorites, all thanks to you. Even simple things like going to Dunkin Donuts together were nice, and will be something I will miss.

So thank you ex-roommate for being my friend, my therapist, my chef and roommate. I think you helped me through a lot, and I wish I had more and better words to explain how much your love and friendship meant to me. I’m going to miss you a ton this year, but I can’t wait to keep in touch and be a part of your life again soon.