Dear Roomie,

We did not come to college with clear ideas of what our college rooming situation would be like. We came in with fear and uncertainty about what our new home would be like, and how we would respond to sharing a 10'x14' room with one another for the next year. As our first time leaving home, it is already hard imagining not being with our families 24/7, but it was even scarier to think of all of the worst case scenarios that could happen as we thought about sharing a room together.

Flashback to the middle of our senior year, we both received our college acceptance letters to the University of Tennessee, and ecstatic that we would indeed be going to college in the coming year, we did what every other soon-to-be college student does, post about it on social media. Then came the dreaded class Facebook page, where every new student posts what looks like a bio for E-Harmony on the page in hopes of finding a roommate with similar interest. Ah, the plagues of the millennial generation, searching through tons of girls' profile pages (don't lie, we all do it) to find a girl that you think you would get along with. We went through multiple conversations with other girls that we believed we were compatible with, but alas, it was just not quite right.

Then, some way, some how, we found each other, and soon, those awkward Facebook Messenger conversations began to get a little more comfortable, and we shared phone numbers, Instagram handles and Snapchats in the hopes of taking our friendship to the next level. Finally, the day came when we finally decided to become roommates! As we requested each other on the University Housing page and filled out the housing contract, mixed feelings of both excitement and ambivalence came over us. What if we don't like each other? What if we actually don't have anything in common? What if we can't stand each other and have to switch? While all of these thoughts raced through my mind multiple times before we met, I am glad to say I couldn't be happier.

While we only met each other 2 weeks ago, I am so glad I get to call you my roomie. We are different, yes, but we push each other to do the best we can both academically and socially. We are in different sororities, different clubs, and have different interests, but that's what is so great about rooming with you. We feed off each other, look out for each other, and empower each other. While I know we will get annoyed with each other from time to time, I am so lucky that God placed you into my life, and I would not want to do my freshman year of college with anyone other than you.

Xo,

Roomie