Meet Nancy:

This is us eating Currywurst in Berlin, my first encounter with the delicious German treat. And you know what? this is literally the only picture I have that is just me and Nancy. This girl is all about living the experience instead of capturing it for memories, and that is exactly what I love about her. Nancy is my 24-year-old roommate from Australia. She's the type of person that lives to enjoy. Whether it be 3-hour nap or sitting outside to get some sun, this free spirit does what she needs to do to satisfy her desires. She is the little voice inside your head screaming at you to "treat-yo-self"!

We have had a million memories, some that neither of us will ever speak of again and others that we bring up almost every day. Of all those memories, my favorite one to tell takes place in the hipster city, Berlin. I had been wanting a nose ring for a long time, and when I met Nancy I thought she was the coolest girl ever with hers! After talking about getting a piercing for a while and realizing how expensive it would be to get one in Copenhagen, Nancy told me that she would get an additional piercing in Berlin to accompany me in my anxiety and pain for my nose ring. We agreed that this was the plan and on our last day in Berlin, we walked into the shop and I got a release form and aftercare instructions. We both sat at a table and half way through filling out my paperwork I looked up at Nancy, it had dawned on me that she was not filling out any paperwork, nor had she spoken to him about getting her ear pierced. I pointed at her accusingly with my sweaty hand (I was very nervous) and exclaimed, " You're not getting a piercing are you?!"

Now, if you know Nancy you'll know the facial expression I'm describing. For those that do not know Nancy personally, she has this sly smile that she expresses when she gets away with something. Her eyebrows raise slightly, her eyes get all squinty as if they want to continue to hide her plan, and she parts her curving lips just enough to lick the corner of her mouth. It is the cheekiest facial expression I have ever seen on a person, and I babysat kids for 5 years. At that point, I was so nervous I just burst into my obnoxiously loud laughter and I had her help me finish my paperwork, we had gotten this far, I was not turning back. Mama didn't raise no quitter.

That day I got my nose pierced, and now I am just as cool as my first roommate ever. Nancy taught me to just enjoy the moment, enjoy life. This has been, possibly, the most important thing I learned. I love you Nancy! Thank you for giving me space in our tiny shared room, thanks for not killing me when I get home late, thanks for pushing me past my comfort zone, and thanks for being the best first roommate ever.