To My First Year Roommate,

It was a wild ride in our little dorm room, which we both called our humble abode. The initial Facebook and Instagram stalking before we met each other for the first time was probably the most anticipating moment in our lives. Finding out the name of the girl you would live with for nine months—who wouldn't go into full out FBI mode right then and there? To my first college friend, this one’s for you.

If it wasn't for you, who else would I have to hold on to and cry with on move-in day? Thank you for being my mom when I needed a supporter, a best friend when I needed a good laugh, and a sister who I could vent to. We probably annoyed each other with all the random questions we had for one another from “What should I wear to this party?” to “Are my morning classes really worth going to?….should I sleep-in instead?.”

Our long talks at 2 a.m. meant so much, even if they were about what we would eat in the dining hall the next day, or how much we needed to work out because we started gaining the "Freshmen 15" a little too quickly. Midnight runs to the on-campus food store in our pajamas was a mini-adventure in itself. I can’t thank you enough for sharing your last bag of popcorn with me—much appreciated.

I have not only learned to live with another person who was a total stranger, but you taught me patience, how to be forgiving, compassionate, and strong at the right times. You know my weird sleeping habits. Thank you for realizing the value of my daily nap…or three in one day, and how to be completely silent so I could catch up on some Zs.

No other person could binge-watch our favorite TV shows on Netflix, rock out to old pop music, hardcore rap, and then country tunes like you did with me. Without each other, how could we have even survived all the mental breakdowns, guy problems, and countless rants about how we miss our families, but more importantly, our precious babies: also known as our dogs.

The memories in that tiny room we endured all year together will never be forgotten. There is no other person I would rather have spent every day with. I can not even imagine having another girl assigned to me in your place. Thank you for going through those two crazy, yet fun semesters with me.

Love,

Your first-year roommate