I would be lying if I said I have not been called a princess before.
Believe me when I say this title has not found me because I’m some insane brat or a textbook Regina George. What can I say? I was born with two older brothers and a fascination with the color pink!
But I had not come to head with this label since I was a little girl – that is, until I reached Yale. You see, I spent the entirety of my freshman year in a “dingle” – a room designated for two students but where only one student lives. I gained a little bit of a reputation for my big room throughout my residential college. My extra bed, nicknamed “glamour couch,” became a friendly hang-out spot for many. My room was my sanctuary, yes, heavy on my. And I had complete control over it.
Upon accepting the offer to come to Joburg for this program, I knew I would face an entirely new experience. -Fine, maybe there are plenty of new experiences in this program.
But the one that I feared most was sharing a room. Yeah, I know. Call me a princess. But trust me, it’s not that I am some Terreritoal bi-atch who detests the idea of sharing. It’s just not something I’ve become accustomed to.
What if we don’t get along? What if I snore? Am I really that messy? – that’s embarrassing. All my apprehensions upon sharing a room were centered around the fact that this is not something I am skilled at; this is not something I know how to do.
But the second I arrived at Rivonia, Fillitah informed me that Atnonia was the person who would take my room-sharing virginity.
Antonia was someone I admired greatly. She and I lived in Benjamin Franklin together and became very close over the school year. Antonia has become one of my favorite people because her personality is glazed with kindness and an up-for-anything attitude. She’s the kind of person you look at and think, “Omg, we need to do this together next!” And she’s one of those people you will actually end up doing it with because she’s Antonia.
I know that sharing a room with Antonia would limit my discomfort. But, I could have never imagined how much these four walls would have bonded us.
From cooking meals to morning pilates, our evening chats, or our shared nail clippers, thank you, Antonia. You have made me feel so safe and giggly in room eleven. I could not ask for a better roommate to grind out assignments with or bond with over our grades on “storytelling.”
Now that we are at the midpoint of this program, it has been a lot of things – challenging, hilarious, long, exciting – whatever. We have seen every single side of this coin. With all these daunting responsibilities and challenges in this new space, it’s nice to have a sanctuary to come home to.
I used to think my solitude made my dingle so magical, and yeah, that aspect was really lovely. But, the feeling of safety does not need to come from control. I know this because Antonia… I love you the way I loved my glamour couch. And if you know me, you will know that means A LOT.
So I guess I’m saying, let’s be princesses together?
OH EM GEE! I adore the both of you.