Dear Roommate,

When I first began going through the college application process, I didn't know what to expect when it came to who I would be living with for the entire year. With no particular girl in mind, I was forced to choose the "random" rooming option, which basically gave me the chance to live with any girl in our class. That whole idea in itself terrified me; what if my roommate and I had absolutely no similarities personality wise? It was bound to happen that way, I was sure of it.

Then I met you.

When we met, we were both extremely anxious and unsure of what to expect for the upcoming year. But regardless, we seemed to be gravitating toward each other the entire time without realizing it. Maybe it was because of our similar heights or "stuck up" looking expressions.

I can still remember how nervous I was about coming to college, and about making new friends. Even just about being somewhere totally different. I'm terrible at adapting, and even more awful at meeting new people - which you now know. But that day, when you suggested we become roommates, I was actually quite thrilled. Mind you, I was still wary about the possibility that we would end up being nothing alike or you were way out of my friendship league and we would never mesh well - but I was also excited.

Finding someone who seemed to have some of the same interests as I and matched my caliber of awkwardness was a relief.

Then, we moved in, and quickly discovered how similar (which was very) and also different we truly were. Freshman year together was a wild ride, but surprisingly not too much of an adjustment. What we had in common, paired with the differing characteristics, really kept us grounded and not totally wanting to kick each other out.

You were always a bit more outgoing than I, but it was perfect. You gave me the necessary push to get comfortable with you right off the bat rather than taking the entire semester to get to know each other. We bonded through all the snug times in our little dorm room, and now live mostly peaceful in our new and slightly bigger room.

Of course, neither of us are perfect, and sometimes our tendency to spread out our messiness is a little too similar, but I wouldn't trade you for anyone.

This year I feel so much more compelled to go out and try something new, and I want to thank you for that. Watching you go out there and make the most of your college experience has inspired me and pushed me toward finding myself.

You are fun and crazy and sometimes a little too much for me, but that's what makes the whole ride a great one. I'm so glad to have had the experience this past year with you, meeting you and your family and visiting your home.

You're the one I can always count on for help picking out an outfit for a party, or be my doll when I want to practice makeup on you. You're a beautiful and strange human being, and I hope we keep going through the rest of our college years together, even if we don't always live together, and continue to grow in each other's light.

Through all the ups and downs, I'll always be right here, in the bed next to yours. Don't be afraid to throw a pillow at me if you need anything.