Alexsis and me in our dorm
Alexsis Skeen was my roommate last year. We went to the same high school, had maybe one or two classes together, and spoke maybe a couple of times over the course of four years. The day I got accepted into UGA she happened to be in the locker room overhearing my excitement. A day or two later she asked me if I had made a decision yet. Next thing I knew she was messaging me back about being my roommate that upcoming fall. We finally got the roommate situation worked out, met up to figure out what each of us would bring for our dorm, went and picked out a mini-refrigerator and microwave with her mom, and then moved in a day apart from one another. Poor Alexsis had no idea what she was getting herself into. I, apparently, do not handle change well. With that said, my fall semester was pretty bad. I fell into extreme depression, began taking three hour naps (I never napped in high school), watched hours upon hours of TV, and let my grades drop. I hibernated in our dorm. Alexsis thought it was completely normal for me, which is understandable since we weren’t really friends in high school. I had some resentment towards her when she would come back to the room because I was always used to having my own space growing up. It took me a while to adjust to sharing space with someone else.
Me and Alexsis at DePalma’s for her birthday
Alexsis and I were both fairly clean. I was pretty bad about throwing clean clothes on the futon, but she eventually got to the point where she didn’t care and would just lay on top of them. It was interesting how we got to know one another. I was more of an open book while it took about a month before I finally got Alexsis to share more personal details of her life. Slowly but surely, I figured out when to give her space and when to pry for more information about what she was going through. We would find ourselves chatting for hours instead of studying. I got so comfortable with her that I would talk to her about almost anything. Our discussions would go from boys, to family, to religion, to school, to greek life, to partying, and so on and so forth. About two weeks before we left for Christmas break we had a conversation about our pet peeves of one another. It was one of the most honest, constructive conversations I’ve ever had. Neither of us took what we said personally and I know I learned so much from what she told me.
Alexsis and me on the day she moved out of our dorm
Alexsis became someone I could confide in and trust. She is such a hard worker and inspired me to work harder. I learned that I could talk to her without the fear of judgment. Alexsis is incredibly strong and independent. I envy her confidence and her ability to make small talk with total strangers. She is kind and compassionate and thoughtful. I was lucky to not only have her as a roommate, but to know for a fact that she will be one of my best friends for the rest of my life. I love her so much and just the thought of her brightens my day.
Tess' Family Tribute 