Relationships 101: I Popped the Question
Written by Lauren Freedman, Contributing Writer
I was never an advocate of online dating. I’d seen MTV’s Catfish too many times (the television show that features people who meet their online sweetheart in real life but who are usually disappointed by the turnout). However, last February I found myself guilty of using the internet for one of my most important relationships yet: my freshman year roommate.
Facebook groups have been created for incoming freshman classes to meet fellow students and potential roommates. Group members post little blurbs about themselves. They usually include their hometown, majors, and a few interests. The expectation is that other group members will read your blurb, stalk your profile, and if they are interested, they will message you to start a conversation.
I personally read some blurbs and stalked some profiles, but I didn’t find anything in common with any of them. During my hundredth visit to the page (slight exaggeration, but I had really been through the page too many times to count), I found a girl who posted about loving fashion. I, myself, was planning on majoring in fashion merchandising. After a friend request and a Facebook message, our relationship began.
We went through that awkward introduction period when we shared a little more about ourselves, using an excessive amount of exclamation points and “LOL’s”. Each message I sent to her was carefully thought out and proofread by anyone at all who would take the time to listen. Every time she would reply, I’d get overwhelmed both by the excitement that she was showing interest in me and by my nerves that I were pressuring me to impress her. As we kept talking, our relationship began feeling more legitimate and after only fifteen days, I asked her if she wanted to “make this roommate thing official”. It took her five grueling hours to respond. In the end, she said yes.
Unfortunately, I still had much to worry about. I only knew very little about this girl from Illinois who loved old records and scary movies. We had yet to meet. What if she was a huge slob? What if she snored so loudly, earplugs wouldn’t even help? Sometimes I’d even get carried away and wonder if she was like the psychotic girl in “The Roommate.”
Luckily, we hit it off right away. I’m so fortunate to have found this girl on Facebook and already have such a great relationship with her after only three weeks. We’re so happy together. People always ask us if we knew each other before coming to Wisconsin. “Nope”, we say, “we online dated.” “I popped the question!,” I add, and I’m so unbelievably glad I did.