The 8 Emotional Stages Of Reuniting With Your College Friends
Are you ready to reunite with your roommates? Let's think about it for a second: Um, yes! You've been waiting for this moment since the beginning of summer. You all parted ways and went back home. Some of the girls in your crew headed to the city for an internship, or took a trip where they didn't have cell service. To say the least, it's been a struggle, and you're excited to have all of your favorite people under one roof again. You should prep yourself on the stages of reuniting with your college friends, though. You've missed them so much, and happy tears will be required.
Some of your favorite memories in college thus far include your roommates. Sure, you've loved hanging with all of your besties. But, nothing beats the casual Tuesday nights when you're snuggled up on the couch watching Food Network or reality television. Somebody always brings home ice cream, or you all combine your snacks and have a dance party. You came to campus to get a degree, but there's something to be said for these sweet moments spent in your dorm with this dope crew of humans.
When you all reunite, it's going to be an overload of emotions. You're going to be crying so many happy tears, and laughing at the latest memes that were sent in the group chat. (Let's be honest: You've been checking your phone constantly this summer just to stay in touch with your crew.) These eight stages will definitely go down. Ready, set, reunite!
01You Talk On The Phone All Summer Long
For the past few months, your group chat from school has been blowing up your phone. You'll have a long shift at work, and come back to hundreds of notifications you need to catch up on. You don't mind, though, because you miss your best friends so much. On your days off, you'll fill their screens with memes. (You're the funny one in the group, if you couldn't already tell just by the way you text.)
You and your roommates have made it a point to talk on the phone all summer long. You chatted on Saturday mornings while you were making breakfast, and spent Friday nights on FaceTime. Can you go back to school, yet?
02You Start Packing For School
You finally feel like you're going back to school when the packing begins. You pull out all of your suitcases from the basement, and pick out the sweaters you'll need to survive winter and your first day of school outfit. (Not to mention, you save some space for the clothes you borrowed from your roommates' closets last semester.)
During this entire process, your roommates are texting you and reminding you to bring the Keurig, and don't forget the television remote this time! Phew, without them, you'd probably leave everything behind (again). Next stop: Your dorm room.
03You Get To School, And Anxiously Wait For Their Arrival
If you're the girl in your friend group who's organized, or lives closest to school, then reuniting with your roommates is a waiting game. You get to your new dorm or apartment first, and start unpacking just to pass the time. You've all turned your locations on, so you know exactly where everybody is at on the highway. (If only teleportation was a thing, huh?)
Eventually, your parents have to hit the road. So, you're hanging out, with Food Network already turned on. The second you hear a suitcase going up the stairs, your heart starts racing. Your best friends are here!
04You Can't Stop Hugging Each Other
The door opens, and you and your roommates instantly squeal. Just seeing their faces in person is enough to trigger some happy tears. You'll start hugging, and never want to stop. At some point you should all probably get out of the doorway, but that's not a priority right now.
In the background, you see their siblings and parents, and go through another round of emotions. They've sort of become your second family, and one mom always makes the best cookies for the start of the semester. This is the moment you've been waiting for all summer, and it never disappoints.
05You Start Catching Up On Everything
You and your roommates have been in constant contact, but somehow there's still so much to catch up on. You keep them company while they're unpacking, and they show you that new shirt they bought last week. Naturally, it's so cute and you're already asking to borrow it next Saturday night.
You talk about your summer crushes, and the things you have to do before classes begin. Amidst all of this reuniting, you completely forgot that you need to buy books and maybe some groceries. Group shopping trip? Yes, please.
06You Post At Least One Picture On Social Media
Within the first few hours of seeing each other, you and your roommates are sure to warn the world. You post at least one picture on Instagram, or maybe Snapchat, so that everyone knows you're back together. Later tonight, you'll make the rounds, and find the rest of your friends on campus.
For now, you're bust helping each other edit selfies and having a photo shoot in your dorm. You're so happy that you have them around again, especially when you need a second opinion on a caption or a cute candid. Are those polaroid frames still trendy? Let me know.
07You Reunite With The Rest Of Your Crew
Your roommates are your day ones. But, there are also so many other people in your crew. Over the years, you befriended the guys who lived down the hall, or the girls you met in class. Reuniting with everyone will be another emotional rollercoaster, but you're more than ready to ride this ride.
After everyone has settled in a bit, you'll get another group chat going, and pick a place to meet on campus. There will be lots of hugging, and you'll probably sit at those picnic tables until the crack of dawn. By the end of the night, it's like you never left, and you've already made some plans for next weekend.
08You Start Making This A Semester To Remember
When the reuniting is all said and done, it's time to make this a semester to remember. You and your roommates already talked about all the things you want to do in these next few months, and you'll likely start some sweet traditions.
Now that you have a kitchen, you'll cook a Friendsgiving meal. If you're 21 or over, you may even decided to try out wine Wednesday. By the time winter break rolls around, you'll have checked so many things of the bucket list.
You really don't know how you survived an entire summer without your roommates (aka, your best friends). But, you did it! The reunion was worth being apart for so long — happy tears and all.
