Snow to sand and summer plans
Opening up my online planner felt like an absolute jump scare—I could see my first final exam creeping in at the very bottom of my screen. How? The second semester feels like it just started, and now the summer is so clearly in sight. I still clearly remember drudging through the snow to classes, and it feels as if it was just yesterday I was preparing for my next round of sorority recruitment. I began to count back the days till I could finally go home and enjoy summer without the taxing schoolwork. But the number I had counted back to did not bring me the complete joy I had thought.Â
Bathroom Bonding
Of course, I’m excited to get back to cooking my own food, to not wear shower shoes, and to have the small luxuries that come with going home. However, I thought about all the great memories that had come with my dorm room. Yes, my room was a bit “rustic” and cramped. But it has led me to meet some amazing people. Over the year, I became friends with the people living in my hall and met a new lifelong friend through my roommate. The friendships I found myself reflecting upon most were my “bathroom friends”. This is exactly what it sounds like it is, friends that primarily hang out in the bathroom. It is not as gross as it sounds. Over the year, I became friends with various people up and down my hall from simply talking in the bathroom while brushing my hair or washing my face. I began to learn that getting in and out of the bathroom in less than five minutes can be complicated at times. Conversations that started with a simple hello in August had evolved into getting to know each person on a more personal level. Some of my favorite parts of the year come from these short bathroom trips where we catch up on our day or chat about the most recent piece of gossip.
Laundry fails and late nights
I will miss having random conversations about the crazy adventures we went on at 3 AM, while simultaneously complaining that the showers had conveniently run out of hot water. The girls on my floor have provided me with comfort after a hard day and with joy after one full of excitement. We all went through the same obstacles that come with your first year as a college student from how to work the laundry machines in the first week to how to navigate rushing a sorority. During these times a simple conversation in the bathroom gave me reassurance that the way I was feeling was normal and that I was not alone.
The Last call for my dorm bathroom
As the year comes to an end, I am thankful for the girls UMich had put in my hallway. It gave me someone to always say hello to. I will miss them next year, as there will be no more bathroom conversations to be had as we all split up into various houses or apartments. Although living in a dorm has had its shortcomings and I have complained a lot, I would not have had it any other way. Who would have thought that some of my most meaningful conversations would be over a bathroom sink rather than a lecture hall?Â