Three years ago, I didn’t know where I was going to end up. I didn’t know who I was going to meet and how my college experience would be. What I did know was, I didn’t want to go through college alone. Coming from the first and small state of Delaware, moving to California, especially Los Angeles, California, was a big change. Naturally, I was scared. I was scared of what college had to offer, I was scared of being in a new location all by myself, but most of all, I was scared of being lonely. I am fine being alone and actually love my own time, but the idea and thought of feeling alone was something I knew for a fact I did not want. To help speed up my making friends at USC, I naturally chose to live in a dorm with a roommate. I knew that if I could live with someone, then technically, I wasn’t alone, and maybe we could help guide each other through our first weeks of college.
I am happy to say that I was lucky, or more like blessed, to meet Aime, my roommate. My first year at college was defined by experiences that I shared with her. From having someone to eat meals with to laughing hysterically at random stories in the middle night, Aime became my rock at USC. I was truly blessed to meet her and even more so happy that I made a friend in a new location unbeknownst to me.
The past year of quarantine and the pandemic have allowed me to appreciate my friends and family more than ever. Before going to college, I wrote a letter to my future roommate. The person I hoped would become a lifelong friend. Fortunately for me, I met her on my first try.
The letter below is a shoutout to my amazing roommate Aime, and I am happy to say that I am lucky I could find a roommate and, most importantly friend, that I could learn from and cry with if need be.
Dear Future Roomie,
I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the fact that I will probably be searching for food or cooking in the wee hours of the morning. I’m sorry for sports events I’ll most likely drag you to and the random parts of books I may make you read with me because I can’t handle intense plot twists by myself. I’m sorry for my dancing and the fact that I will ask you to dance with me. I’m sorry for my love of music that causes me to sing constantly. I’m sorry for the late nights we’ll most likely spend talking, and the early mornings I’ll ask you to go on a run with me. I’m sorry that I’m a night owl and do my best work at 3 a.m. But it’s okay.
It’s okay because I will prepare food for both you and me. It’s okay because we will get to cheer and bond over supporting our school. It’s okay because after we read the books, we can watch the movies together– if there is one. It’s okay because we will be the best dancers at any group event and exchange our favorite types of music with each other. It’s okay because if you ever need someone to talk to, I’ll be there, or if you need space, I won’t be there. It’s okay because we’ll get to learn from each other and cry with each other if need be.
P.S. locked or unlocked doors?
