Special Post #34: Accommodation, Part 11 - The End of Year 2: Part 5 – Goodbye Zion

This is part of the on-going series about home sweet homes. It is also Part 5 of the also on-going-but-not-for-much-longer series about the rollercoaster of events that took place after my last exam in year two and in my last week living in my first ever house!

For the last year I have been living in a 5-bedroom house about 20 minutes walk from campus. We dubbed it ZION.

Zion was, and will forever be, my first house. It’s been a fantastic experience, and even better given how good our landlord has been with any problems we’ve had.

A top tip I’d give to anyone looking at sharing a house ever is to get a joint account. We used it to pay rent and bills. Just by putting an extra £30 in each every month meant we could easily pay bills without having to chase people up about money every month. However, save your sanity and avoid Natwest at all costs!

I’d also suggest anyone to get a rota for cleaning. We didn’t and it definitely showed. Over time little jobs like the washing up become mammoth tasks, but if everyone had done a little bit every week then it may have worked out a lot better for everyone.

You learn so much about people when you live with them. I didn’t really know Anne, Will or Viv before living with them this year, yet I can’t imagine it without them. Looking back now, I’ve only ever known them as housemates, potential housemates or otherwise, and it’s going to be strange going forward staying in touch as just friends. But I have this year and Zion to thank for introducing us (and Josh of course :P). I know that we will all stay friends for life :)

Josh, on the other hand, was my best friend last year, so I already knew his as a friend before we decided to live together. But even then, this year has only strengthened our friendship. I had my doubts that being on the same course and living in the same house would be overkill, but it was quite the opposite. It’s been so helpful with coursework and revision that I literally don’t know how I’d have coped half the time if Josh wasn’t only a walls width away. Especially in the year after Christmas when we’ve been in the same lab group and doing lots of work together.

As this great year comes to a close, I can’t help but think how unique this experience was. It couldn’t have been better, I wouldn’t change a thing and I couldn’t have wished for better housemates. I’ll miss tickle time, Anne laughing at nothing, Will’s strange eating habits (how many times I watched as he cooked fish finger sandwiches I don’t know), Josh’s wall knocking and singing in the kitchen and Viv’s weird noises. Forever Zionites.

The next part in the accommodation series, and the End of Year 2 series, is about my new house and housemates and why I’m no longer living with Josh next year…