It was the Labour Day weekend in 1997.  That’s when I first moved onto the 13th Floor of Thompson Hall.  Being an only child, I’ve barely ever had to share a house with someone, nonetheless a room.  But there I was, staring at my new bedroom door, that in a couple of hours, I would be sharing with another girl for the next two semesters.

It was fun for the first few weeks, and then it just became a train wreck {a blog post for another time!}!  But eight months later, I left my first year of residence and moved into a house down the street with four new roommates.  From there, it became five new roommates and the headcount just kept climbing until it was me and seven other roommates sharing a house!  Good times {well, some of the time!}!!

Once I graduate from university and moved into my own apartment, I thought that my days of domestic discourse would be over, but as fate would have it, I would just find myself negotiating and tolerating in entirely new ways; from the crazy lady next door that thought moving all of her daughters clothes and furniture onto the street was an appropriate means of discipline, to the awesome guys that once lived on the main floor of our house who enjoyed Wednesday night, naked parties until all hours of the morning.  And let’s not forget the drug induced old man that once called the police on me because he thought I had a farm animal living in my apartment {I had a cat and a boyfriend…take your pick!!!}.  Much to my surprise, learning to live harmoniously with various roommates and neighbors has actually been one of the biggest lessons of my adult life.  And frankly, I’ve done my time!

That’s why it’s such an enormous delight to – for quite possibly the first time in close to a decade – not only be sharing a home with the two most handsome boys ever…but to have the best neighbors in the entire world.  Seriously.  The best.  So much so that their presence may even be increasing our property value as I type this!  They are sweet, they are considerate, they make incredible lasagna and, after much delay on my part…I finally got one of them in front of my camera!!!

The truly stunning Ming – along with her world traveler of a husband – has contributed so much to us loving our neighborhood.  Having a beautiful home with beautiful things is one thing…but having beautiful and kind people to surround that home is really what completes it!

Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce to you the neighbor of your dreams!  You’ll have to enjoy her here…because we have no intention of letting her become any one else’s neighbor any time soon!!!