Learning How to Live With People Again

Since COVID-19 hit at the end of Winter Quarter, I’d been alone at my apartment 98% of the time. After taking their last final Winter Quarter, all of my housemates went home for Spring Quarter and Summer. I decided to stay behind because I was going to take Summer Session (one and two) and I felt that I had to utilize the apartment since I was paying rent. 

I’ve spent the beginning of my time in quarantine learning how to live by myself which was hard for a social butterfly like me. Our apartment housed five and it was usually lively with many conversations going on. I was really depressed at one point during Spring Quarter so I decided to get a kitten to alleviate the loneliness I felt. Brownie, the name of my kitty, didn’t replace my roommate who I loved talking to, but she was a different type of social outlet for me.

This summer, I learned how to take care of a cat and how to take care of myself. I cleaned the big apartment all by myself and studied downstairs more often where I usually never lingered. I took up space in the apartment and bought some new items to make it more comfortable and homier for me. After the first month of summer, I had the whole ‘living by myself’ situation down. I often daydreamed about how this was actually my own apartment and this is what it feels to be an adult.

My housemates started coming back one by one the week before Fall Quarter started and we ended up getting two new housemates. The apartment was now packed and I had to learn how to live with others again. I was definitely more than happy to see everyone and have everyone back but it took some time to adjust. 

In the summer, I would go downstairs in the morning, play with Brownie, and turn on the show Lucifer while making breakfast. Now, I go downstairs and one of my housemates is already eating and greeting me good morning. The trash becomes full quicker, it’s louder, there are products on the bathroom sink that aren’t mine, and so much more. I had to breakdown all the dos and don’ts that came with living with Brownie. Relearning how to live and share an apartment with five other people definitely was a lot at first, but it was easy to get over. 

My apartment now feels just how it felt pre-COVID. I do sometimes miss having the apartment to myself, but I’m glad I can use my vocal cords and chit-chat away to my housemates that I’ve missed dearly this past spring and summer. I missed being able to talk about anything and laughing hysterically about really dumb things. Now, I get to do all of those things and make more memories with them since we’re all stuck inside for the next who-knows-however-many months. I’m excited to share another year with the best group of housemates a gal can have! 

• college
• covid
• friends
• housemates
• roommates