Dear College Roommates, Thank You For Everything

Dear College Roommates,

Thank you. Thank you for journeying with me through the crazy ride that is university.

Thank you for moving in with me—for leaving the comfort of your own homes to risk living with a friend and gaining a sister (that you may or may not even wanted to have in the first place).

They say that you only really truly get to know a person when you live with them, so thank you for not running away after a few weeks of getting to know the real me.

I will miss the spontaneous meals and the other random adventures we’ve gone on—out of the blue movie dates and shopping adventures. Thank you for always texting me when an amazing idea comes to your mind, effectively giving me an exciting role in the story of your life.

With you by my side, I grew up and learned how to live independently. I learned how to separate wet and dry rubbish, how to wash the dishes and sweep the floor, how to use public transportation to travel fairly long distances.

I will never forget the deep conversations in the middle of the night when we’re all tucked in and ready to close our eyes, but we can’t stop laughing and talking about the most absurd of topics. Thank you for being someone I can talk to about anything—the annoying boy who keeps trying to date me, the silly joke my professor made that only I find funny, the girl in my group work who I simply cannot stand, and the boy we never ever thought would break my heart.

Thank you for being there when I cry, always ready with ice cream to help me eat my feelings. Thank you for taking my side even though I don’t need it… and slapping me with reality especially when I need it. I’ll always cherish the times you listen to me and add new insights and perspectives to the way I view life.

Thank you for movie nights, Jane the Virgin Tuesdays, buffalo wing lunches, and our traditional birthday surprises. Thank you for always asking if I’m wearing bottoms before bringing people in the room. Thank you for make-up nights, face mask nights, and everything in between. Thank you for being the light I can come home to after a long and dark day.

Thank you for sharing yourself with me. My university life would have been dull without you.

We may, one day, move out of this tiny apartment, and move into the great world that is waiting for us, but I will always keep with me the little things that happened within these four walls and how they changed me forever.

Thank you for being one of the best things that happened to me in college. Promise to keep in touch—because how else are we going to build and sustain our dream dynasty? Promise that we’ll realize our dreams of cross-country road trips and lavish European tours.

But, until then, I wish you luck in your careers. I am already very happy for the people you will come across whose lives you will bring light into the way you brought light into mine. I will await our next dinner date, the exciting new stories, and the good ol’ inside jokes. I look forward to the birthdays, weddings, and children we’ve already planned. I wish you nothing less than the best happiness this world has to offer, because you deserve that and so much more for the years you’ve put smiles on my face.

Indeed, one of the few things I will continue to cherish after these grueling years have come to an end and graduation has passed are the sisters I never knew I needed in my life.