The conversation always went like this: “Who are you rooming with?” “Emily, she’s my best friend from high school and we decided to room together!” “Oh, well good luck!” or a different response like, “You guys will hate each other by Christmas break.” Living with my best friend has had its challenges, but more than anything, it has only made us stronger friends and individuals.
It’s August of 2012 and it’s my first day of College. As I’m moving into my new home for the next four years of my life, I am over-joyed by the excitement of a new school, new friends, new home, and even living with my best friend. My best friend from high school and I decided that we were going to be roommates. Even on our junior visit day, a year and half prior to move in day, we had one of those gut feelings that we were going to be sharing our college experience together. It was one of those things where it didn’t seem like living with your best friend would be any different than normally. I always just imagined it would be like having a sleepover with your best friend every night, but there was a lot more to it, and I would soon find out.
I remember thinking; the first couple weeks were pretty easy. As we were blossoming into college, and wrapped up with freshman orientation shenanigans, we didn’t have time to get on each other’s nerves or have anything to fight about. But don’t get me wrong; Emily and I did fight, but almost in a way of it being healthy for our friendship. We would sometimes even laugh while we were bickering, and than we would forget why we were even fighting. We learned to communicate with each other in a way that both of us could understand and except each other’s faults. One of the best things about living with your best friend is the amount of support each other receives from one another.
There were times, when I might have had a bad day or Emily, and we knew that the best thing needed was a little cheering up. Having that person by your side through your darkest days was so unbelievably helpful. Emily always knew what to say when I was down. Living with Emily had the perks of going home and telling each other about one another’s days. We would even stay up late and talk about our latest “boy drama” and give each other honest, logical advice. Along with living together, through the thickest and thinnest situations, being with your best friend in college also has the advantage of sharing your college experience with them.
Looking back on last year, and this year as well, the memories spent at SAU that register the most in my mind are the ones spent with my best friend. Laughs on laughs, running from trouble, staying in and watching the best movies of all time, stressing about homework assignments with deadlines, Skyping our other close friends, taking what seems like a “million” pictures and always being there for each other has made my college experience perfect. Last year we even decided to be roomies again for our sophomore year. So far, it has been nothing but fun!
Now, I know that rooming with your best friend from high school is stated to be the “worst idea ever,” but in our case, it was the best! We went against the odds, and showed people that rooming together has made us stronger. Emily and me have learned to treat each other with more respect and to always understand one another. She has helped me through so much with family issues, boy drama, and even with other friends too. I couldn’t ask for a better best friend, and I know that we will be friends forever. I know this phrase seems a little cliché, but after you survive living with your best friend for two years without attempting to strangle each other, I think we are safe to say that our friendship is bonded by love and loyalty.