There are articles upon articles about saying goodbye to your parents/siblings/dog/high school friends etc. when you move to college your freshman year. I have not come across too many articles about how it feels when freshman year comes to a close and you must say goodbye to your roommate.
I've been thinking a lot about what makes this goodbye so difficult. For me, part of it is that my roommate will be transferring to a different university this upcoming fall but part of it is that this goodbye is just hard. I'll be honest- I cried, we both did. Looking back, that means that I was lucky enough to have had not only a great freshman year roommate- but also to have met one of my best friends.
Your freshman year roommate is many things. They are the first person you live with long term outside of your home. You share that first night away from home where the reality of actually moving in really hits. She's the one that was there to go grab late night macaroni and chicken tenders one too many times when you forgot to eat real dinner.
Sometimes my roommate and I would just sit and sing along to random high school musical songs or make each other laugh by randomly playing really funny/ cringe-worthy songs. After we turned the lights out and stopped talking for the night we would often send each other memes and start laughing all over again. Roommates are there for the little things - the zippers, the coffee runs, the music, outfit decisions, all of it.
Living in that small of a place with a person often means they see you when you are vulnerable. We saw each other when we were sick, crying, stressed out, homesick, and we loved each other through it all. We were there for the late night " I just think it's funny how..." rants and knew when to give advice and when to just let the other person vent. We were there for hugs or to just silently pass the tissues and not say a word.
We were also there for the good moments: acing the first test of college, getting a job, getting accepted into a club/sorority, and just the normal good days. We celebrated and smiled with each other. We helped hype each other up and offer unconditional love and support.
From the first night, when everything is different and you feel like you just left home to the last night when everything is different and you feel like you can't imagine your life any other way... your freshman roommate (and hopefully one of your best friends), is there. Saying goodbye is hard and comes with a flood of different emotions. My former roommate and I have a snap streak going but she's not on here. If she ever sees this, I hope she knows she was a great chapter in my life.
