Growing up, I have always been a home-body. Whenever I slept over at a friend’s house, or even worse – a week long sleep-away camp, I would get homesick and long for the comfort of my bed in the home I spent my whole life in. In college, it’s hard not to be homesick. No matter how often you tell yourself you aren’t, you know deep down that you want to go home to see your family, friends, and (most importantly) your dog. Being away from home for weeks and even months at a time can be hard, but having a roommate to keep you company makes it easier.

For the past 16 years of my life, I have had a room two feet away from my sister’s. We would spend hours laughing, talking, and staying up way too late together on school nights. As I anticipated going off to college for the first time, I also dreaded being away from not only my parents and friends but my sister as well. Since I have spent nearly all of my life with my younger sister, I haven’t experienced what it is like not to have another girl in my bedroom at all times. Even when my sister was away for the night, our upstairs Jack-and-Jill style room felt empty, and I felt myself having trouble falling asleep, knowing that she wasn’t right on the other side of my door.

Finding a roommate through the Facebook “Class of 2020” page was tricky since I had to find someone who I have never met to live with for the next 24 weeks. Having a random roommate is hit or miss, you either rarely talk to each other, or talk about anything and everything. Thankfully, I was lucky enough to find a roommate that makes my dorm room feel like home, rather than just a place to sleep.

Having someone to constantly talk to and help me with school work makes living away from home a whole lot easier. So, shout out to Facebook for bringing me a girl who makes me feel at home in our white walled, cinderblock, dorm room.