It’s hard living with your best friend.
Hanging out every day is easy. It’s easy to see the similarities between the two of you. You might not be able to see a future without your best friend. You do everything together and have your lives planned out. Your best friend can be the greatest person to walk into your life.
Perhaps you’ve come to the conclusion that you want to move out and it seems obvious to move in with your best friend? It seems easy. You get along, you like the same music, like the same kind of food, whatever the similarities are.
I’m here to tell you it isn’t as easy as you think. Not to say you shouldn’t do it. Honestly it’s a great learning curve. Just don’t expect the relationship to stay the same. It’s going to grow and you’ll have to work at it. Your best friend may have only been a clean freak because it was expected growing up. In their own place, it might not stay that way. Before, if you had a disagreement, you were able to go home, get angry or cry it out, then seek out your best friend. Now, you’ll both be in the same house. Slamming doors and acting snarky or b*tchy won’t help the situation.
My advice?
Set ground rules. Decide if you’re eating together or separately most nights. Decide how to split bills and cleaning duties. Rotate the cleaning schedule if neither are partial to cleaning.
Understanding how to communicate with a roommate/best friend when things are working out right, or things seem to be going unfair is crucial to surviving together.
Sometimes it’s hard to separate all the emotions that come with living with your best friend. You’ll get angry with each other. You’ll say things you don’t mean. You’ll wonder how you were ever friends to begin with. More than likely though, there is a reason. Talking through the emotions is how you’ll keep the bridge connected.
With all the hard times you’ll likely face, it’s pretty great knowing you live with someone who has your back. Bad day at work? Pop open the wine or beer bottle and hash it out with your best friend. Ranting about the guy that made you angry? Guess who is there when you get home; your best friend. Secrets will be next to non-existent. It’s the best part of best friend roommates.
You’ll already know how each other ticks. You’ll know the movies they hate; the ones they love. You know how to cheer them up or keep their ego in check.
Best friend living situations are difficult, but it's all about how you make the best of your differences.
