10 bedrooms, three bathrooms, one kitchen, what could go wrong?
Last fall, five of my friends and I signed a lease for a 10 person house without seeing it in person. All UW-Madison students understand the atrocity that is student housing, so when this house became available we went into a frenzy and impulsively signed. After living here for two months, I can confidently say that our impulsive choice turned out to be one of the best choices of my college career.
One caveat of signing this house was that we only had six of 10 rooms filled, meaning we were responsible for finding four additional roommates and would more than likely end up living with strangers. After signing, we posted on the student Facebook page and nailed down four complete strangers to live with us. One of them was going abroad, so most of us didn’t even meet her until move-in day the following August. Wide eyes from most people who heard our plan made us think we might be insane, but what else was there to do?
Move-in day was chaotic and the cleaning of a 10 person house once occupied by men was…intense. We scrubbed on our hands and knees (literally) and shifted through moving boxes for days on end. We found a TV on Facebook, a TV stand in the dumpster, bought a falling-apart leather couch that sticks out about three inches into the doorway for $100, and we called it home. The 10 of us are now living together in (somewhat) harmonious union.
There are quite a few things I love about living in this house. One of them being the friends I have made with the girls who were once random sign-ons. Getting to know people on such a personal level so quickly, especially during senior year, has been so special. We got so lucky with our new roommates, as I can’t imagine my house without them. Another one of my favorite parts has been watching as an empty house turned into a homey, decorated space. Our decor is far from aesthetic, but you can see each of us and our collective friendships show up. Our fridge has become a place for us to sign and draw and take surveys (who’s significant other is at the top of the pyramid this week?). Our hand-picked pumpkins lay around the living room. A space that was once empty has turned into a shrine for our house and friendships within it.
Squishing on a couch, there being so many of us we have to pull up kitchen chairs, to watch Dancing with the Stars and The Golden Bachelorette. Happening to be making breakfast at the same time, pregaming for a night out. Packed grocery store runs and weirdly deep, personal late night conversations. I have made so many memories in this house. While what we did could have ended terribly, it actually turned out to be a really amazing experience. As I write this I sit with my friends watching Practical Magic, feeling so lucky for my home.