Two and a half years ago, I was preparing to begin my freshman year of college.It was an exciting time - packing, repacking, checking every list a million times and getting psyched for whatever the next four years would bring. A couple of weeks before I was set to leave, we got our roommate assignments. I didn't know anyone at the school and hadn't spent enough time talking to anyone at summer registration to know I'd want to live with them, so I had filled out the random roommate survey. I got the assignment on the school's online portal through which we receive final grades, schedules, and other information and couldn't wait to move into the dorm with my new roommate.

She was the perfect freshman roommate. We got along really well, even though we didn't spend much time together outside of the room, and we both respected each other's space. I had heard so many horror stories of people and their roommates during freshmen year and I was so happy that I had lucked out and gotten someone I was comfortable and happy living with.

Fast forward two and a half years. I'm now just about halfway through my junior year of college and I have the same roommate I had freshman year. Housing has never even been much of a discussion; we talk about which building we want to try to live in and that is that. Though we each have a number of other amazing friends, we've never really considered leaving with someone else. At least, I haven't. I can't really speak for her but I think I know her well enough by now to know that if she didn't want to live with me anymore she would say something.

Well, there's something I would like to say to her.

I don't know if you'll ever read this (though I hope you will) but I want to say thank you. Thank you for putting up with my random and goofy outbursts or statements if I am thinking about something and can't hold it in. Thank you for leaving the light on if you go to bed before I come back so I don't have to stumble around in the dark. (I'm really glad we can both fall asleep with the light so I can leave the light on for you as well). Thank you for always being there if I want to talk. I know we don't have personal talks a whole lot, but I know you're always there for me and I hope you know I'm always here for you. You're such a kind, smart, beautiful person and I'm so beyond lucky to have the chance to live with you. Because, quite honestly, if we didn't live together I probably wouldn't know you. And then my entire college life would be different. Who else would live with me?

So, thank you for being such an incredible part of my college experience. I can't imagine college without living with you and, while our school may not be perfect at everything, they certainly did a perfect job matching us as roommates.