A coast closer to the roomie

These days, I feel so overwhelmed with the amount of changes I have been going through, and will be going through in the next few months. I feel the same anxiety that I felt while leaving India four years ago. How would the place be? How would I go apartment hunting? Will I be able to make good friends? Who would I share my apartment with?

And with that, I now I have with that the pain of leaving Seattle. I never realized how I fell in love with Seattle until I had to leave it. Every street walked on, so many restaurants visited, so many things done, so many memories built. The few times I visited the east coast, I always told myself that this is not where I would ever want to live, that I am a west coast person. Someone up there was laughing at me.

However in all the chaotic thoughts that ensued, I sigh in relief, having a good reason to look forward to the move. Long back I used to have a virtual roomie. My only relief and reason for excitement comes from the fact that I will be moving closer to the roomie. Well, not exactly so close that I could smell the food he cooks and he could hear me when I sing in the shower. It took me almost 6 hours of flying time to meet him. Now it will be 6 hours of driving time. But even that in itself is great for me.

Of course I am aware of the practical constraints, and know that the meeting frequency will soon be on a declining curve. Even then, the mere thought that I can start early morning and meet him for lunch is excitement.

I had first met roomie in the US during a certain Thanksgiving [2007 I think], and it was a mad trip of east coast exploration, all mostly in trains and Greyhound. Neither of us knew how to drive then, yet nothing deterred us. New York City, Washington DC, Princeton, Baltimore, we had seen it all. The next trip happened during the next Thanksgiving in Philadelphia. Then roomie visited me in Seattle. What an amazing trip it was, we went to every place I had wanted to show him, and more. Two months later, we met again, in a big group, exploring Virginia. And two months later, we were on another long road trip to Yellowstone National Park.

The great west coast-east coast distance never really deterred us from meeting and doing something that both of us love – Traveling. Every trip we made had so many fun memories. I was fondly going through all those pictures, smiling, grinning, and smiling again. I know I will be leaving behind amazing friends in Seattle. But I am equally excited that I’ll be at a drivable distance from the roomie. Sure he will graduate in a few years and will move. But till then, I hope there would be many more fun meets, peals of laughter, movies watched together, restaurants explored together, singing, driving, planning, traveling, arguing, differing, books recommended, letters exchanged, and in all this, building beautiful memories together. It’s amazing how with some people, you don’t even know how to make conversation, there is so much difference (or indifference) between you two. And then there are some people with who you don’t even need to think while making conversation. You might as well be in the parking lot waiting to start your car and meet a friend when roomie calls, and the next thing you know is you have spent more than an hour in the parking lot just talking talking talking, the waiting friend long forgotten. Such is the bond I share with him.

Ever been in trouble, knowing someone who will help you is just a phone call away?

Ever missed a bus or lost directions to a place and called up someone living 3,000 miles away, knowing that you will be guided no matter what time it was?

Ever panicked when something didn’t work out, only to send an email and have things taken care of?

Ever felt lonely and then just dialed a number and talked for hours, forgetting every sadness in the meantime?

Ever giggled so much that your tummy hurt like crazy?

For more than multiple reasons, I feel thankful and blessed to have such an amazing friend in my life.

sunshine