Taylor: “Hey, I’m Taylor, and I think we have a lot in common. Do you want to room together?”Â
Ava: “Hi, I’m Ava. Great! Sure, yeah, sounds good.”Â
And so it began…Â
Summer flew by, and just like that we were moving into our first year as strangers. My first thoughts on Taylor were okay: she’s nice, extroverted (which was great because I could not talk to anyone), and misses her family just as much as I did. All good signs. It would take a while to really get to know her, but this was promising.
Fast forward to the end of the first semester, which is arguably the most whirlwind of emotions I have ever had. Despite this, Taylor was always there and saw me through it all. We ended up in the same friend group despite being around each other all the time, which I had found a hard time doing with other friends, but with Taylor, I never felt that way. Taylor and I ended up living together in a double for all of first year and sophomore year; we now live in a townhouse with separate rooms but shared spaces. Â
Taylor is the kind of person who makes the world feel lighter. She radiates kindness—not just in grand gestures, but in the smallest, everyday moments like the million animals she speaks to every day. She remembers details about people’s lives and always asks about them, making everyone feel seen and valued. Her humor is effortless and contagious, whether she’s delivering a perfectly timed joke or making up a silly story to cheer someone up.
Taylor’s empathy runs deep: she’s the friend who will listen without judgment, who will sit with you in silence when words aren’t enough, and who will show up even when it’s inconvenient. Her loyalty is unwavering. When she talks about her family, her pride is infectious, and it’s clear how much she cherishes them. She brings out the best in those around her, and I feel endlessly grateful to have her in my life.
One of the biggest aspects of our friendship is how we just know. Regardless of the circumstance, sometimes the other person just knows. If I’m dying of laughter in my bed at 11, she just knows I’m watching my favorite sitcom and the same scene I have watched countless times is making me laugh. Or when she gives me those long, gazing eyes as we head to the vending machine for a late-night snack, I just know.Â
In between those specific moments, you can consistently find Taylor and me saying the same things in sync with one another. We can also communicate through a look, a facial expression, or a simple glance across a room. There’s a comfort in knowing that someone understands you without needing an explanation.  Â
Living with someone for three years now has given me a bond that I haven’t found in any other friendship or family member. It’s hard to explain, and I don’t think many people will fully understand unless they’ve experienced it themselves. She is one of my best friends, but that title doesn’t give her the love she deserves. She also isn’t my direct family; the best way I can describe our relationship is that she’s my person.  Â
Taylor is the person I can laugh with until my stomach hurts, the person I can sit in silence with and never feel uncomfortable, the person who knows when something is wrong without me having to say it, and the person who has been there through so many versions of growth since being in college. People come and go into others’ lives, but I know that she will forever be a constant.Â