ode to my roommates

As this semester careens crazily toward its ultimate demise, suddenly I'm struck by how much I'm going to miss living with my roommates from this semester. I think that I have had the fortune to have great roommates every year but this year marks the end of my on-campus era, so maybe I feel like these roommates are nearer and dearer right now. Here's why:

Rachel and I have been together since the very beginning. Of college, that is. We're like an old married couple, except that she will never marry me because she's going to marry Chris (I assisted in their getting together!). She is an artist and isn't afraid to dress like one (hehe). Her canvasses hung on our walls and her sculpture filled the empty spaces in our apartment and I think my living space will be so empty without her vibrant works. When we shared a room last year, we used to crank the music up and participate in a little bit o' bed jumping. She isn't afraid to speak her mind and she makes real food. Sometimes, she will stare at me until I look at her and then she will start gnawing on her hand.

Amanda is strangely obsessed with chicken and seasoned salt. She makes eau claire (eclaire) cake like nobody's business. One time, she ate both potatos and rice for dinner. Okay, that was all about food but Amanda does stuff other than eat. Not only does she have a unicycle, she knows how to ride it! Without falling down all the time! Amanda is also a very good writer, even though she doesn't think she is, and that's another reason I like her - there is not a pretentious bone in her body. We talk about pretty dumb stuff a lot of the time that makes us laugh hysterically and we're sure everyone thinks we're obnoxious, but we don't really care. She sings a lot and doesn't care if anyone is listening.

Cassi came to me, Kelly and Rachel as an innocent transfer student this fall, and we probably couldn't have created a better roommate. She's a sweet sweet girl but don't be fooled - beneath her engaging exterior, she's pretty tough and not always the most angelic of people. We corrupted her in some ways but she took in stride, always so open-minded and open-hearted. She apologizes for talking "too much." She loves to dance and can do the paintbrush (hehe). She's also an alto (like me!) and sings which makes me happy because her voice is awesome. Cassi is also an artist and we're never quite sure if we should throw stuff away because Cassi just might be using it for a project. She usually hits the snooze on her alarm clock at least two times before actually getting up. Sometimes she comes and sits on my lap when I'm watching tv.

Kelly left us after last fall for Australia (which she is loving, I know). Kelly, like Rachel, has also been there from the beginning. She talks with her hands a lot and likes to dance around like a crazy fool. She'll probably get mad at me for writing about this, but sometimes when she drinks, she blacks out some things, and it seems like it's usually crazy stuff that she does - like having a water fight or using a bottle of glitter glue as a prop. ("Here's the situation!") She has a deep respect and love for nature. When we had classes together, we would make up silly stories about our professors. This girl loves to shop. I miss her a lot.

These aren't the only reasons I like my roommates, of course, but some of my favorite things. They are all caring and loyal and easy to get along with. A lot of what makes my roommates so great to live with is that they are all so calm and easy-going. There is no not getting along in this apartment.

We are all moving on to better things (at least that's what we're all hoping). The Mizzes Rachel, Cassi and Amanda will be heading across campus to live in Stadium apartments, where they will have a new random roommate, most likely from the sea of freshmen anxious to get out of the dorms. Hopefully they will get lucky (wink wink!) like Rachel, Kelly, and I did when Cassi arrived in our little world. I'm excited that they're in Stadium where they'll all have their own rooms, and they're probably all excited to be getting rid of me.

Starting May 14th, I will be living in the first house on this site. I love this house, as has been established. My new roommates will be Chelsea, Aurora, and Aurora's sister Regan and two other random people. Though I'm sad I won't be living with my 327C girlies in Stadium, I'm excited that I get to live with a whole new set of people (well, I have lived with Chelsea before and even if I hadn't, she wouldn't count but just the same, I'm glad we'll be together again and we're going to have so much fun... decorating!). I've never lived with Aurora but I think it will be a good time, because Aurora is a fun, easygoing and free-spirited girl. Living with random strangers is kind of scary and makes me nervous but whatever. Hopefully my luck will hold out and I will have a good experience next year, as well, and then I can write another ridiculously long ode to my roommates. And you know, if it's not fun at all, I'm not going to be there in the fall* so mwahaha!

*Yeah, okay, so I still don't know about Argentina but I will go, by God!