Remember when we told you that within days of meeting, Kaitlyn and I were calling each other “best friends”? Yea, that was great. Of course, you may be asking, “how did they become friends so quickly?” Or maybe you’re thinking, “I can’t stand living with my best friend!” Well this week, I’m going to address both!
We were all moved in (minimal decorations up, though) and I had just dropped my mom off at her hotel. She had an early flight out the next morning, so it was a somewhat tearful goodbye. I got back to our dorm around 9 p.m., not knowing whether I would be alone or not. When I walked into the room, the lights were on, and Kaitlyn was wide awake with her laptop open.
“Hey…” I shyly offered.
“Hey. Is your mom gone?” She closed her computer.
“Yeah. What about yours?”
“They’ll head back tomorrow. We need one more Walmart run.”
“Oh, okay. Well, I guess I’ll get ready for bed.” I did so, changing clothes and brushing my teeth without another word. The toothbrush my mom and I picked out had a vibrating option, but I chose not to turn it on. Kaitlyn might think it was weird or something. As I put my toothbrush and toothpaste away and made my way over to my bed, I looked over at Kaitlyn. “Goodnight.”
“Wait!” She just about startled me. “Tell me everything I need to know about you if we are going to be living together!”
With a sigh of relief, I sat down at my desk, facing her, and began to tell her all about myself. We talked and laughed for about an hour and a half. I’d tell a story, and then she would. At one point, we both were quiet. We must have both been tired. I looked at the desk and noticed a gift bag.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Oh, my mom bought us some food and candy…but I don’t know if you can have any of it.”
I was confused and a little offended. “What do you mean?”
“Well,” she hesitated. “I don’t know anything about that ‘kosher’ stuff!”
“I don’t keep kosher!” I shrugged. “What’s in there?” We both laughed. This led to another hour of chatting and giggling as we munched on candies. It turns out, the ones I didn’t like, she loved. And the candy she hated, I liked. When we had had enough, it was time for bed. For real this time.
“I have to brush my teeth again,” I moaned.
“Yeah, me too,” Kaitlyn said, moving towards the sink. “But hey, just to warn you…my toothbrush vibrates and makes some noise, so don’t freak out!”
So there you have it, folks. The first night Kaitlyn and I started to be friends.
A lot of people, girls especially, get really excited about moving into a dorm or apartment with their closest friends. At first, that’s probably a great arrangement. As time goes on, though, they start to notice little things about each other that are annoying or gross. These little things escalate and cause tension. The roommates start to argue, they talk behind each other’s back, and sometimes they purposely leave dishes in the sink just to make the other mad. Living with the wrong friend can (and often does) end up ruining a friendship.
Two and a half years later, people ask Kaitlyn and I how we remain such close friends (um, excuse me. I think you mean Best Friends!) and still live together. Besides good luck, we think we have the real answer! We were roommates before we were friends. Our friendship is based off of living together and having a mutual understanding and respect of one another’s space, privacy, and quirks. We know each other’s routines and habits, and therefore don’t get in the way of them. For example, I know that Kaitlyn naps every day from 3:30-5, so that’s a great time for me to do homework. Kaitlyn knows that I will not leave the house unless my hair is perfectly moussed and gelled, so she patiently waits to leave until I finish my hair. It just works for us!
Think carefully before choosing which friends to live with. If the friendship means a lot to you, consider whether it’s worth ruining over a messy kitchen or high electric bill. Remember, just because you don’t live together doesn’t mean you aren’t close. And on the other side, you don’t always have to be best friends with the person or people you live with. Don’t force it. If it happens, it happens.