After living with my roommate for a year, seeing her lovely face day and night, and spending way too much time together, it is weird and difficult to adjust to college life without her. Here are some of the struggles anyone who is missing their other half for a semester knows.

1.You miss the activities you ALWAYS did with them.

Every roommate pair knows that there are some things that you always did together, and now doing it without them is not the same. My roommate and I always had stress relieving dance party breaks in our room all the time, and without her here I am missing my favorite dance party partner. Trust me, dancing around the room by myself is not the same.

2. You Struggle to keep them Updated on your life.

The communication abilities between us, with me being on campus and her being abroad, are difficult to keep each other informed about our life occurrences, big and small. Suddenly, the person who you used to tell all your embarrassing and awkward daily encounters to is not easily accessible. And my days are not as complete without my roommate’s stories.

3. You spend way too much time looking at all their abroad pictures.

Since you can’t physically be with them while they are abroad, you try to live/understand/feel like they are still with you by looking at all of the pictures they post of their various adventures. Seeing my roommate’s corny Instagram captions and beautiful pictures always make me smile because it shows me she’s having fun.

4. You find yourself thinking “what would my roommate do” in many situations

After living with them and spending so much time together, you are so used to their personality and reactions that in certain situations you find yourself wondering how they would have reacted/what they would have done if they were there with you. Anytime something ridiculous happens I find myself thinking, “My roommate would have found that hilarious” or “my roommate would have totally freaked out if she was here”.

5. You miss all their little quirks

I became so accustomed to my roommate’s corny jokes, unforgettable laugh and her habit of telling me the different species names of the birds we saw on our walk to the dining hall that my life is not the same without them. Getting glimpses of those quirks in our conversations while my roommate is gone always make me laugh.

6. You start planning all the things you have to do when they get back.

After a semester apart you have a lot of catching up to do when your roommate returns. In your head you can’t help but make a mental list of all the things you have to do together when they get back. I already have our Star Wars and Harry Potter movie nights planned for when she returns, whether she likes it or not.

Even though it’s hard to be apart from one of your closest friends for such a long time, it’s always reassuring to know that they are having the time of their life abroad. I’m so excited for my roommate to have this opportunity, and I know soon enough we will be reunited, back to the same old trouble.