Having a new roommate can go one of two ways: absolutely phenomenal or devastatingly bad. Lucky for me, I got one of the good ones. So often I forget to tell her thank you for everything that she has done for me, and as our time being roomies is quickly coming to an end, I figured I should finally thank her for all the things I forgot to.
1. Thank you for agreeing to move in with a total stranger.
It's not every day that you meet someone bold enough to move in with a complete stranger. But there you were, gladly raising your hand saying "let's try it, worst case scenario, we hate each other and never talk to each other ever again." Lucky for us, we seemed to blend, and you helped me navigate a world that neither of us knew, a world where we had no friends, and a world that asked us to be adults. Thank you for volunteering as tribute and rooming with me, and for making the transition a little easier, and a lot more entertaining. If it weren't for you, I would probably be so lost in this adult world, that no one would be able to find me.
2. Thank you for being my drinking buddy, without even having to be asked.
From the moment we moved in together it was just known when someone needed a drink, and exactly how strong that drink needed to be. Whether it was a bad text or phone call first thing in the morning, or a game that ended terribly, you always were up to get a drink without even asking. Thank you for not judging me when a drink was necessary at 11:30 in the morning, but rather, driving me to the nearest place that was serving and then ordering a round of shots. Thank you for participating in late wine nights when we both had workouts before sunrise. Thank you for having a drink ready when I walked in after a tough game and a cold one ready when there was a big moment to celebrate. And thank you for never judging when I said one glass that would turn into five, but rather continuing to fill our glasses and laughing with me about it the next morning.
3. Thank you for being my not so judgmental, judging conscience.
There were many a moment where you could have easily judged me, but you never did, or at least never out loud. You would tell me the mistake but also laugh with me at the stupidity of some of my decisions. You were my conscience when I needed one, telling me not to do something, but never in a way that made me feel inferior, but rather in a way that made me feel like I was making a good decision. Thank you for helping me make the right decisions, warning me about the bad decisions and never judging me when I made the wrong one.
4. Thanks for making it all okay.
Whether it was a loss on the field, a family tragedy, a boy who hurt me, or anything else, you have always been there. You always had an open door, and a phone turned on, ready to help me through whatever obstacle life had thrown at me. You knew when the moment called for a drink, and when I really just needed to talk, but you also knew, even more importantly, when I just needed you to be there. No matter how many times it felt like my world was falling apart, you were always there for me. There aren't enough words to thank you for all the times you put me back together.
5.Thanks for dealing with my annoying habits.
Okay, more along the lines of thank you for not murdering me. It would have been much easier for you to yell at me then to learn to put the pillow over your head at 6 a.m. when I find the need to run into every wall and drop everything in my hands. You never cease to go into mom mode when we leave the house and I forget at least one light, and you never say a word (only quietly roll your eyes) when I always forget to put something away after cooking. You were great through the chaos phase where I also found the need to drop my bag wherever my feet stepped in the house and promptly fall asleep right there. You dealt with my habits like a champ. Best roomie award definitely goes to you, my friend.
6. Thanks for being my sounding board.
Juggling the multiple jobs and responsibilities that we have on a daily basis can be draining, and for me, they also ended up with me coming up with more ideas. Thank you for listening to every one of my crazy ideas, my rants about games and practices, my venting about life, and for telling me when I was out of my mind, and when I was really on to something. Mostly thank you for pushing me to go after the good ideas, and telling me to not go near the bad ones.
7. Thank you for calling me out.
As much as there are days when I want to tell your blunt self to shut it, I am more than grateful for your honesty, and your ability to tell me to pull it together. You knew early on that our friendship could withstand the brutal honest truth, and you never had a problem with calling me out, even though I still think you held back sometimes for my mental sanity. I could always count on you to tell me when I was being selfish, stupid, ungrateful, or any other negative adjective you can come up with. Often times I would have a little chip on my shoulder and go hide in my room to pout it out, only to come out a few minutes later to admit you were right. Thank you for only smirking a little bit and still loving me regardless.
8. Thank you for going along with my questionable decisions.
While you were the first to point out the things that were not great decisions, you were also the first to go along with the ones that could turn into great adventures. You were always down to try something new and create a memory. Our bucket list isn't quite done, but I have no doubt it will lead to many more adventures. Thank you for being so willing to mess up with me and to go on adventures without really knowing how they were going to end.
9.Thank you for letting me be unapologetically who I am.
I can't thank you enough for always encouraging me to be exactly who I am. You accepted my obsessions with soccer, racing, and quotes, and embraced my need to be randomly weird, watch "Pitch Perfect 2" over and over again, and being overly loud all the time. You never once asked me to hide who I am, but rather you were the one who always challenged me to be the realest version of myself. You are the first person to tell me to "shut up" when I am putting myself down, and you deal with me no matter what side of me happens to be out that day.
10. Thank you for helping me grow up (but helping me to stay forever young).
We were thrust into adulthood with absolutely no instruction manual, and for me, it was slightly terrifying. Thank you for being there throughout the entire journey and going through all the growing pains with me, but also reminding me to have some fun every once in a while. Whether it was learning how to pay all the bills, or just navigating through some of the obstacles, you made this process of growing up a little bit easier. I have to say, I think we've done pretty well, I mean we've had our bumps (like the time I locked myself out of the bathroom at 3 a.m.) but I think we basically got it. Thank you for being there on the journey with me, laughing through the bumps and growing up with me.
11. Thank you for being my family.
More than anything, thank you for being my family when I was away from home. Yes, I only live 3 hours away, but my family couldn't be there for every moment, the good and bad. They could never understand all the parts of the journey that we were on, and they couldn't be there to just enjoy the time that was ours. Thank you for being all of the above, a friend, a hug, a laugh and of course a sister. I honestly have no idea where or who I would be without you and even though I don't say it nearly enough, thank you and I love you.
They say that when you grow up, you don't lose friends, you just realize who your real ones are, and you have proven that. Through the ups and downs, I have been lucky to have you as a roommate, a friend, and a sister, and there is no one else I would have wanted to go through this crazy journey with. So as graduation approaches, and our time as roomies dwindles, I am proud to say we did it, we made it. I love you and thank you.
P.S. Roomies or not, you're stuck with me forever...
