I'll be the first to admit that I was preparing for the worst.

I'd heard countless roommate horror stories-- the good, the bad, and the ugly. I'd heard about people already applying to switch rooms, I'd heard about the fighting, and I'd heard just about every conflict I think I possibly could have. I didn't come to college with eighteen of my best friends living in the same building as me, so I didn't know what to expect. It didn't really occur to me that she also didn't know what to expect.

I'm one of the lucky ones who can say that my roommate is one of my closest friends. While we didn't become joined at the hip a week into the school year, we eventually started to hang out more and grew closer. We're from two completely different places, we listen to completely different music, and we both have had completely different life experiences that have brought us to where we are now. If I had been told a week before moving in that my roommate didn't seem to have very much in common with me, I would have panicked. Now I know that it's a good thing we don't have every single thing in common. We can both bring different things to the table, and that is exactly what keeps a strong friendship going.

My roommate was supportive of me when I decided that being in a sorority was overwhelming me. She was supportive of me when I struggled in classes, and when I had silly boy drama to vent about. She was supportive of me when I came home late at night and definitely woke her up while I stumbled around trying to find my phone. Most importantly, she will continue to be supportive of me, and I will do the same thing for her.

I know that we won't be living together next year. We'll see each other less and spend less time together. That's why she is more than welcome to come over whenever she wants to have fun, needs a shoulder to cry on, or just wants to hang out. Beyond the fact that she is my roommate, she is above anything my friend. She has accepted me for who I am, even if I haven't quite figured out who that is yet. She's better at tolerating me than I am at tolerating myself, and that's no easy task.

Like I said, the roommate horror stories I'd heard from older friends was enough to make me nervous about meeting my roommate. I got incredibly lucky, and I have no idea what I've done to deserve such a bright, entertaining, and compassionate friend. Living with you (as well as our awesome suitemates) has been a huge part of my freshman year. We've had a great first semester so far, and I can't wait to see where my life goes with you in it.