BATHROOMS AND BUDDIES
Or: How to keep the peace and friendship on the road
1. Determine who needs the most time in the morning.
Some people jump out of bed, can dress, pack, workout, eat breakfast (not necessarily in this order) and are ready to hit the road by 8 am. Others are like me. We move at a snail’s pace and believe mornings are for the birds. Establish morning routines early and set the alarm clock accordingly or there will be grief.
2. Check privacy comfort levels.
Are you non-plussed if your roommate jumps in the shower while you are attending to that last meal of unknown origin? Or do you prefer to change clothes in the closet? We all have lots of issues on the subject of privacy. We may not even realize we have issues until something comes up! Be aware and know your comfort level.
3. Check the safe!
Somebody check the room before catching that 8:00 bus. It sounds obvious, but it is sooo easy to miss that document left in the safe (like a passport), the blouse dropped after last night’s party, or the little container of special shampoo brought half way around the world and still on the shower shelf.
4. Be a roommate, not an inmate.
You aren’t glued to the hip when home, so why should it be different when traveling? Every waking moment doesn’t need to be spent together. You don’t do that with a spouse or a parent—why expect to do it with a roommate? Buddies look out for each other but don’t always have to be together.
5. Laugh a lot.
It’s a trip, remember? No one twisted your arm to go. Maybe things aren’t working out the way you expected (they rarely do) but the experiences are more rewarding than running to the grocery store or doing laundry. So laugh and enjoy.