There are about as many tales of adoration and great affection for college roommates as there are horror stories; I was been incredibly lucky to find five roommates who quickly became five of my closest friends. I dedicate this piece to my five lovely suite mates - Deanna, Hannah, Shannon, Jenn, and Abby - without whom I would not eat nearly as well as I do or be so immersed in the world of Ted Mosby (they've gotten me completely hooked on How I Met Your Mother.) Thank you for never putting me in the situation where I wake up and you're standing over my bed; that is what truly makes a good roommate.

1. Because I am an only child, these are the first people I have lived with outside of my parents, so they will always hold a very special place in my heart.

I was initially somewhat weary about the prospect of living with five girls; surely, there would be drama and surely I would find myself in situations I had never had to deal with before. Of course, just because I’m an only child doesn’t mean I’m completely impossible; I actually think I was constantly trying to overcompensate for the bad reputation us “onlys” get. However, to go from living in a two-bedroom house with my mother and dog to living in a six-bedroom suite with five other girls was a relatively large change.

These five made it pretty easy. They were the first friends I made at college; they were the people I spent all of orientation week with, and the majority of our time to follow. I will always love them for the role they have played in shaping my freshman year.

2. On certain occasions, my roommates double as my hair and beauty team.

During these times, we pool our resources on the soft purple rug in the common room. Our dorm becomes a salon, smelling of powder and perfume (which is a better alternative to smelling like three-week old leftovers someone forgot in the fridge, which sometimes happens).

If I’m looking for something, someone somehow supplies it; when I am in need, someone within the suite magically has whatever I am looking for. On these nights, their wardrobe becomes my wardrobe. I am offered anything they own that they are willing to part with, and they are all very generous. Of course, when the situation is reversed, I always try to open my doors to them; whatever they need, whatever they want, so long as it fits.

I’ve never had sisters, but this is what I imagined it would be like: sharing everything, encouraging each other, getting ready together and talking throughout the entire primping process. In my head, our transformative process resembles a montage, like something from The Princess Diaries in which I am their Mia, they are my Paulo (if only I had Anne Hathaway’s eyebrows.)

3. These five strong women are so amazing because they’ve fully accepted my oddities; likewise, I am so thankful they have their own quirks, because it gives me something to accept about them and makes me feel less alone in my strangeness.

It was only through college that I discovered that I do, in fact, choke whenever I brush my teeth because the toothpaste is too “spicy.” I’ve also learned that I have adapted the weather preferences of a ninety-year-old Floridian and I like my room to be like a sauna. Additionally, nine out of ten times, I do not have my keys with me and I am living on the prayer that somebody is in the suite and will let me inside.

Now, however weird or frustrating that may seem, I only experience mild teasing, because we each have our own deviations from the norm; for example, some of us hate certain words and some of us sing “The Hokey Pokey” in the shower, but hey, we love each other all the same.

4. What do you get when you put two Massachusetts locals, a Floridian, a Pennsylvanian, a Jersey girl, and a Californian in one suite together? Something incredibly special, really loud (sincere apology for our neighbors,) and constantly hungry.

I live for the nights when all six of us are in the common room at the same time, because it becomes absolute chaos and I am guaranteed to get nothing whatsoever done ever and have the most wonderful time not doing it.

There's a promise that someone is eating something (most often, it's ice cream because the C Store enables us way too much) or someone is about to be eating something (usually me, and I consistently end up getting sidetracked or carried away in conversation to ever finish my food preparation endeavor in a timely fashion.)

5. Honestly, I just love my roommates, period.

Thanksgiving break has been rough, because I didn't get to see them everyday. They are all such beautiful individuals, inside and out, and I am so thankful for their friendship (and that they let me wear blue face masks around the suite, even if I scare visitors and neighbors.)

So, to Jenn, Shannon, Deanna, Hannah, and Abby, thank you for making the start of my freshman year so great. I certainly couldn't have done it if I didn't have you five to come home to every night.