Don't.
Whether or not your roommate was your best friend or a stranger living on the other side of the room, don't say goodbye. This person was someone in your life for about nine months. This person saw you at your worst, your best, and every other day in between. This person helped you with that homework problem you almost had a mental breakdown over. This person helped you pick out what to wear, and told you honestly whether or not it looked good. This person was there when you went to bed and when you woke up in the morning. This person was the most important part of your college experience.
Goodbyes are so final, why would you want to end a relationship with someone who now knows you in and out? They know you leave your homework to the absolute last minute. They know your favorite Netflix series. They know that you're more in love with ranch dressing than you ever will be with any guy. They know you struggle in math, but excel in writing. They know your ugly crying face, and how hard you can laugh.
Instead, thank them. Whether you choose to continue your friendship over the next couple years or not. Thank them for accepting you for who you are. Your roommate became your guardian, best friend, and/or boyfriend when yours couldn't be there. They stepped up when they didn't have to, but because they wanted to. It's not every day you're thrown in a room the size of a box with someone you barely even know. But now that it's over, don't say goodbye.
I'm wishing I had more time in that dorm with my roommate ... I mean, best friend. I wish we had more nights to order grilled cheeses from a pizza place at 3 a.m. More time to start and finish another show together. More time to worry about what we're going to wear out that night. More time to complain about the most insignificant things. More time to tell her how much I really appreciated everything she did for me.
Take this experience and cherish it forever. You'll never be able to redo your first year and who you had as your first roommate, but be thankful for that. Everything happens for a reason, as cliche as that sounds, but appreciate things for what they are. Keep in touch with your roommate, grab food together once in a while, and stop and say hello if you see them around campus. Don't say goodbye, and don't pretend that person never existed. Because whether or not you became the best of friends, this person was in your life for a significant amount of time and knows a lot more about you than you give them credit for.
Thank you Erin Walker, for being the best roommate who became my best friend. I couldn't have survived freshman year without you, and for that I love you eternally. See you sooner than you think.
