Dear Rooms,

Don’t worry, I’ve been planning this article all spring quarter — since it hit me that we wouldn’t be living together in a few weeks and I caught the feels. You’ve asked me to write you a roommate article since I started writing for Odyssey, and now you’re getting one all about you. You wrote me a really sappy card and surprised me with gifts on move out day, and I told you your letter was coming, but I don’t think you saw this article coming.

We met on Facebook - being the awesome millennials that we are. I wrote a long post on the UCI Class of 2019 page, telling everyone about my awesome self, and you slide into my Facebook messages. They say online dating sites don’t work, but look at us now. Facebook messenger was like our E-harmony — it matched us better than any B.S. roommate survey UCI could have given us. You weren’t the only person that slid into my DM’s — because I made myself sound super cool and fun — but I’m so glad we chose each other. It’s a good sign when I was telling you more about myself and you could honestly respond with “Same!” to almost everything I said. I can’t even imagine how different my freshman year would have been if you didn’t slide into my messages so quickly because we ended up like roomie soul mates.

I was always worried about my first roommate. As anyone who knows me knows, I’m high maintenance and easily annoyed. I like my personal space, and the idea of being around someone 24/7 did not sound like a good time, but if I had to imagine the perfect roomie in my head, it would end up sounding quite like you.

We share a terrible habit of going to sleep later than we should, and a love of sleeping in way past sunrise — this is the most important part of our relationship. Just kidding. Even though we were cramped in a study room they tried to spin off as space where two humans could actually live, you still managed to respect my personal space. I never imagined I could be so comfortable living in a box with a stranger!

Besides the basic living habits, we share so many other similarities. We started planning out our room decorations and sending each other Pinterest links the week after we decided to room together. We sent each other weekly updates and had a painting party once school started. Roomies who craft together, stay together. I also finally found someone who loves old Disney music like I do, and wasn't afraid to admit it. Sorry about peer pressuring you into getting a Disney pass, but I am very persuasive, and who else is going to sing me an Aladdin duet all by herself in line? I'll never forget you dancing on your bed to Mulan, but don't worry, I won't upload the video to Facebook.

Not only did I get a fabulous freshman year roomie, I got a best friend who will be around a lot longer than college — even if you make creepy jokes about whether or not I’ll pick you as my maid of honor. It can be hard to find genuine people in college, but I got stuck in a room with one of the best. Yes, these are the nicest things I’ve ever said to you, you angel, and now I'm publishing them for everyone to see! I can't deny it now.

I’ve never seen you get mad at anyone, while I mouth off sassy remarks to anyone to anger me. Your patience and quietude astound me, but in a positively awestruck way. You always see the glass half full. You’re like a little ray of sunshine — even though you refuse to wear anything besides black and gray. You are so involved, yet still, find time to make your friends cute cards and to binge watch Youtube or some Korean drama I know nothing about. You are so dedicated to your studies and deserve all the rewards of your success — I can’t wait until we both get our dream jobs in Marketing. I admire your dedication to religion, but I also appreciate that you never pushed it onto me. I know all my swearing at my computer screen while I was doing math probably scared you, but you never said a thing — maybe you even found it funny eventually. Now that I think about it, you never complained about anything to me. While I asked you not to slam doors and to throw away your food, you never asked anything of me. Am I that perfect? (I know I’m not). Emily, you are a great peacekeeper and your tolerance amazes me.

Thanks for being there whenever I needed you. Whether it was bringing me soap when I banged on the wall that connected our bathroom to the shower, buying me a scantron, helping me study or giving me advice on what picture to post on Instagram, you were always there. Outfit advice, boyfriend advice, life advice, you were there. You always wished me good luck on my tests and never forgot anything important that was going on in my life. Oh yeah, let’s not forget that time you had to bring me my ID card all the way across campus from our dorm because I forgot it before my midterm. I proceeded to run across Aldrich Park, which was quite a scene. You were even patiently there in the first phase of mine and Daniel’s long distance relationship, one in which we frequently Facetimed until 1 a.m. Despite this, you remained ever patient and never complained. Because of you, I’ve tried to be more patient as well, and isn’t that the best kind of friendship one in which you make each other better? Heck yes.

Rooming together our first year of college is an experience I’ll never forget, but also one we can never recreate. Even though we aren’t living together next year, I know you’ll still be annoying me at my wedding!

You’re the best, Em!

Love,

Tay