Kindred Spirits
Ever since I first heard the phrase “kindred spirits” in the 2017 Netflix show Anne with an E, I’ve been intrigued by the idea of finding my own. For those who may not know what that means, kindred spirits is a sweet way to describe a close friend with whom you have a deep and unique connection, as if your souls instantly recognized one another from a previous life from the very first moment you met.
With such a friend, you can talk about anything and everything without feeling misunderstood; you can confide your craziest dreams, your most embarrassing moments, and your troubles without fearing they’ll judge you or go away. In the 2017 Netflix series, we can see this dynamic between the characters Anne Shirley (Amy McNulty) and Diana Berry (Dalila Barry) from their juvenile years into adulthood. Their friendship demonstrates that, regardless of distance, time, or conflicts, your kindred spirit will forever be there with you and for you.
After all these years, Anne with an E continues to be one of my favorite TV shows of all time. All the life lessons, sweet moments, and memories I attribute to it reside deep within my heart. The friendship between Anne and Diana impacted the way I view female friendships from a very young age, and thinking about them always leads to bittersweet sentiments, as life felt much easier when my only concern was waiting to see what new event would unfold in Anne’s life.
Like any other fan of the Netflix adaptation, I was devastated when the show didn’t get renewed for a fourth season, but I would definitely still recommend it for anyone interested in period dramas with an outstanding love story, amazing friendships, and emotional life lessons!
tHE COMPLEXITY OF FRIENDSHIPS
Making friends has never been an easy task for me. As someone who has always been introverted, awkward, and weary, the idea of putting myself out there for people to get to know me on a deeper level terrified me throughout middle school and high school. Whether there were boys or girls around me in class, I never believed that our vague conversations in boring classrooms would transform into long-lasting, life-changing friendships. For the most part, I used to keep to myself during classes, avoid school events, and spend the rest of my free time within the desolate walls of my room. It was a lonely way of living, but as long as I had my books, music, and films, I was able to numb this excruciating feeling until it became a muffled thought in the back of my mind.
But this mindset crumbled when I received my UCLA acceptance letter. I was the only girl from my high school who got into her dream university, and I knew that no matter how hard I tried to convince myself, being alone for four more years would probably not be the best idea. As much as I wished I could have a friendship from high school that would follow me into college, just like Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) and Paris Geller (Liza Weil) in Season 4 of Gilmore Girls (2000), I was completely and utterly alone.
Sure, it could be manageable, but if I came to UCLA, the No. 1 university in the nation, and missed out on meeting multiple people with different interests, backgrounds, and ethnicities, just because I was scared of connection, would I truly enjoy the college experience? Definitely not.
Although I was determined to meet as many people as I could and make the most out of my UCLA experience, not everything was wonderful. Unfortunately, my major didn’t have a high number of female students, casual plans made in dining halls were never followed up on, and my first random roommates turned out to be horrendous.
After so many negative experiences and a very rough first year and a half at UCLA, I considered my college experience doomed. Why did the pursuit of connection have to be so complicated? Why couldn’t I have the courage to make friends outside of the classroom? And why was I even more scared to make friends than when I had originally arrived at UCLA?
spring into summer: an unexpected change
Though times were rough, a part of me still clung to hope. And luckily, over time, things eventually did improve. Classes became easier, club meetings didn’t seem too boring, and work wasn’t too overwhelming. And that’s when I met the first girl who would be my new roommate. What started as a one-on-one mentorship suddenly transformed into accompanying each other to club meetings, having casual dinners at BPlate, and eventually interacting on social media.
I was scared of messing up, but for the first time in a while, I realized that I had finally met someone who, regardless of what I had been through and had to share, was willing to be there for me no matter how long it took me to open up. She asked me to be her roommate for the following academic year, and, as excited and happy as one could possibly be, I accepted. I didn’t fully know her at the time, but I was hoping we would get along once we moved in together.
For the first time in my UCLA experience, I actually had something positive to look forward to during the summer. I couldn’t wait to live in an apartment with this new friend, and I couldn’t wait to see who else I could potentially meet throughout the new academic year.
When the academic year actually began and it was time to move in, I met my second new roommate. She had also been randomly assigned to share the same apartment, and we were all scared to interact with one another. Yet, this time I dared to begin a conversation with this random roommate 一 and it unexpectedly opened the door to what would eventually become an amazing friendship. As time progressed, the three of us got more comfortable with one another.
We realized we shared many common interests, had similar experiences, and genuinely wanted to develop a good relationship with each other. Unlike my previous roommate experiences, I had actually found two people I really enjoyed spending time with. I also realized that having randomly assigned roommates wasn’t necessarily as bad as I had once assumed.
And when I least expected it, I realized that I had finally found what I had been looking for all this time: my kindred spirits. Just like Anne did in Green Gables, I met two wonderful people who came into my life to change it for the better. I didn’t feel the need to hide my thoughts, habits, or interests anymore. I didn’t need to hide in empty classrooms on campus to avoid coming home.
For once, I could actually trust and rely on someone else outside of my family. I wasn’t purposefully and particularly looking for them, yet, but in a bizarre and unexpected way, they found me through a random housing assignment. And once I finally allowed myself to open up to them, I was able to appreciate what female friendships are truly about: affection, merriment, support, admiration, and honesty.
ot everyone gets to experience this kind of connection, but I was lucky enough to be one of the few who, after so much uncertainty and anguish, found two loving and amazing sisters.