One of the unexpected perks of living with someone completely new is all the little things they bring into your life. As you go from essentially having a sleepover with a stranger on the first few nights to them becoming the person you RUN back to the dorm to spill the day’s happenings to, parts of their ways of life slowly become yours.
When I first came to college, I had no idea what to expect from living with anyone other than my family. Luckily, I ended up living with one of my softball teammates who understands the busy student-athlete lifestyle. Additionally, Addison has introduced me to some of my new favorite things that I probably would have never discovered on my own. From skincare to specialty flavored sodas, here are some of my favorite things that my roommate has incorporated into our daily lives.
1.) Eye Masks
Originally, I just didn’t see the hype. I thought of them as some baloney marketing campaign that dubiously promised to rid you of dark under-eye bags. Instantly upon moving in, Addison insisted that she had to restock her collection. I was skeptical and close-minded. Why would I want to stick what feels like two pieces of cold-cut lunch meat to my face for thirty minutes? I watched her use them night after night and rave about how good they felt on her face before I finally gave in.
It had been a stressful day between classes and the bustle of lift and practice. Addison quickly picked up on the fact that I was flustered and slightly overwhelmed, and she demanded that I lie in my bed and slap on an eye mask. I wanted to scoff at her, but being new to this whole Laverne and Shirley thing, I didn’t want to hurt her feelings in the first few weeks of living together and gave in.
The first few seconds were very uncomfortable. All I could picture was two slabs of sandwich ham leaking their juices all over my face. I felt my stomach turn. Then, she instructed me to lie down and aim my fan onto my face. I followed her orders, and let me tell you: pure bliss. The cool air struck the patches, and it felt absolutely amazing. It sent this cool wave down my face, and then slowly, I felt the rest of my body cool down—total game changer.
Since then, we do them at least once a week. Late-night study session? Pink eye masks. Just chilling? Not without eye masks! Wanna take a gander at what’s under my eyes as I write this? Last weekend, we watched Hocus Pocus in the dorm after our softball games. Addison received a package earlier in the week, but I didn’t think too much of it. As we got cozy in bed, she tossed a small pouch to me. I opened it and stuck my hand in. Banana eye masks. Eye masks in the shape of bananas! Is that not the silliest, most unique thing? Made my weekend for sure.
2.) Creamy Coconut Dr. Pepper/other speciality Dr. Pepper
The original Dr. Pepper is composed of twenty-three separate and unique flavors. What else could possibly fit into that crazy concoction? At least that’s what I was thinking when I watched my roommate haul a full box of Creamy Coconut Dr. Pepper into our dorm.
In theory, it sounds kind of nasty. Mixing a carbonated beverage with an almost milky sweetness. I vividly remember her casually cracking one open and guzzling it down on the night that we moved in. While I’m sure this is sold back in my hometown, I had never seen it myself. The only variation of Dr. Pepper I had ever had was the original, which to me always felt like it was missing something.
After a long day of rearranging furniture, filling drawers, and hanging things up, I was extremely thirsty. I decided to try it. The second it hit my taste buds, my initial question was answered. The base of a refreshing Dr. Pepper mixed with a thick creaminess that wasn’t too overbearing actually makes for a pretty refreshing treat. I am also recently learning that there’s not only coconut. Dr. Pepper also makes other speciality flavors such as strawberries and cream and cherry. Obviously, I have already tried them all. It seems like anytime she comes back from Walmart, she returns with a new flavor of Dr. Pepper to try. And believe me, I’m definitely not complaining at all.
3.) Slowing it Down
Probably the most crucial one. One thing about me is that I’m always chasing the next big thing. I want to be the student who aces the challenging test, the athlete who is at the top of the stat sheets, the musician who flawlessly plays the best solo, or the contributor who always writes the most interesting articles. Everyone desires success to an extent, but some become restless and just don’t know when to pause and take a break.
I can recognize that I am one of those people. That’s where Addison comes in. Some nights, I find myself slightly overwhelmed in my workload and pushing myself beyond my limits. She is usually the first person to catch on and remind me that everything is going to be fine. I find that she often takes the time to distract me from the everyday grind, whether it be taking me to Dunkin or setting up a cozy night in for us.
At first, I felt guilty for taking a break. There always seemed to be something I could be doing: an assignment I could start, an upcoming exam I could study for, an idea for an article that I could shape into a draft, or something with softball that needed my attention. Addison has taught me that sometimes the thing I needed to do most was absolutely nothing.
A random trip to grab a strawberry dragonfruit refresher turned into an hour-long conversation or an inside joke that will live among us forever. A quick break from homework to take a walk to the dining hall could turn into a side quest that gives us memories that will last us a lifetime. After all, it’s college. It’s supposed to be fun. College can sometimes feel like a big race. Everyone’s rushing around to get to class, practice, club meetings, and whatever comes next. It’s easy to get caught up in constantly moving forward and forget to enjoy where we actually are now. Having someone to remind me that it’s okay to slow down and enjoy the ride sometimes has made all the difference.
None of these three things on the list seem too spectacular on their own. An eye mask is just an eye mask, a flavored Dr. Pepper is just a soda, and taking a break is something everyone should do from time to time. But that’s the funny thing about living with someone. It’s not the big, life-changing moments that make the biggest impact.
Sometimes, it’s the little things that slowly become part of your everyday life without you even realizing it. And it’s those little things that are the most looked forward to on the longer, busier days. What started as “Why are you doing that?” became “Wait, can we do that?” Living together has made me realize that you don’t have to completely leave your old life behind when you come to college. Instead, you get the opportunity to build a new version of home with the people around you.