It’s a sunny day, the waves are looking good, there’s plenty of surfers to watch, the neighbors aren’t awake yet, and the girls are making their way up for breakfast. I turn around from the balcony and make my way to 13 girls in 1 kitchen.
Yup, you read that right. I live with 13 girls. I know, I know, crazy right?
We live in an upstairs/downstairs 6 bedroom and 4 bathroom home with a spacious patio and balcony that caters to Isla Vista’s very own, Del Playa Views.
A lot of people always ask what it’s like living with 13 other girls, how it works, what the situations are like, who shares what, how we all met, why we all chose this house, who that one chick is that no one really vibes with, if we are all crazy, and if it’s so cool being next door neighbors to Sig Chi.
So let’s break it down.
- How did we all meet?
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It was a warm summer day back in June when we stumbled upon a Facebook post. So trusting, so very not suspicious at all. It was an ad that I’m sure we’re all familiar with seeing on class, housing, and the occasional free-and-for-sale group pages. We contacted the coordinator from Playa Life (the company that owns homes along Del Playa), and soon enough, we all got put in a group chat. From there, we discussed who was interested in what room (double or triple), signed contracts, and then introduced one another. So in simple words, we were all looking for housing very last minute and did not know one another before moving in together.
- Why did we choose this house?
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For one simple reason and one reason only. The views. You know how you have that one trait in a home that makes it really awesome no matter what other factors contribute to the situation? Yeah. It’s this. Our balcony. If our house is known for one thing, it would be that.
- Who shares what?
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So the driveway, laundry, living room, kitchen, balcony and patio are all common spaces that we share. When it gets to bathrooms, 3 girls share 1 bathroom upstairs and 4 girls share the other bathroom that is also upstairs. The same scenario of bathroom sharing is what downstairs is like.
- How it works/what’s the sitch?
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Being a broad question, we honestly just make it work. A big thing the girls and I are really good at is communication and transparency. We’ve emphasized this from the start and continue to remind one another to be mindful of each other’s space and feelings. I would say that everyone always has something going on throughout their days, so there is never really a dull moment. When it comes to chores, cleanliness, and sanitization, I can satisfyingly say that we get it done as a whole house.
We are all pretty aware of who cleans what and when, and just knowing when to offer that help really goes a long way. Another thing the girls and I emphasize is being appreciative, saying our “thank yous” and not being passive at all in whatever situation it is. I like to say that we keep it real, and I know it’s hard to believe all this because who gets lucky with 13 other girls out of a random dice roll?? But really, there is no cap in the air.
And to answer the last few questions from that list…
Answers will vary depending on who you ask in the house. From my standpoint, I pretty much vibe with everyone here, it’s alright living next door to Sig Chi, and no we are not all that crazy– maybe in the way that we like to have fun and the occasional party, but for the most part, the girls in this house are pretty sane and stay on top of their grind. It’s pretty rewarding at the end of the day.
The college experience is something we hear of pretty often. If there’s anything I want to share, it’s this: Really take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to you, make the most of the resources around you, live every moment up to your fullest potential, and most importantly–– take risks because you never know what door will open, who you’ll get to meet, and where life will take you.
Although I didn’t know what I was getting myself into prior to signing a lease with 13 other girls,
I can gratefully say that we did get lucky at the very last minute. It’s interesting to see how life works and how everything unfolds at the end of a chapter. All I know is that once this is all over, I’ll miss the extensive amount of “sorry’s” in the kitchen, house gatherings and outings, screaming and laughing and so much stress coming from different areas in the house all at once, monthly bundt feasts, movie and show screenings while we’re all squished so closely on the couch together… I reminisce with a grateful heart as I write this from our balcony.
It was a sunny day, the waves were good, I got to watch some surfers, our neighbors were chill, and the girls made their way up to our balcony for another heart-eye sunset. I look around me and instantly know that this, 6 months from now, this is what I will miss.