What is it like living with a supportive roommate? Through this interview, CDSS Awareness Leader Paul Sawka and his new roommate Winnie share their experiences. They talk about their routines, how they support each other, and what makes their living arrangement work. From planning meals to sharing laughs, their story shows the ups and downs of life as roommates—and some great tips for making it a success!
Tell me a little about your roommate. What do you like about them?
Winnie: Paul is a very sociable guy who laughs at my lame jokes, which makes our living situation really fun. Paul has a very good work life balance. He’s organized and has a knack for planning, which is something I’m starting to appreciate more. He enjoys singing, swimming, and other sports.
Paul: We help each other with tasks like keeping our apartment clean by knowing when to clean our bathrooms and our bedrooms. We also do some dusting, vacuuming, and taking out the garbage and recycling. These are things that are so very important to keep the apartment clean and it needs doing every week for every month and all year long.
It feels very good to get everything done right when we work as a team. Our actions show the best of our heart when we work together.
Winnie helps me to put the meal plan together and we do our shopping together and put things away together. We cook dinner together each day. We do our best to eat the things that we have so that things won’t go bad for us. Winnie wants to help me to be more healthy and eat less junk food. The meals that she cooks are good for me as well but I am not on a diet.
Are there any challenges you face as roommates?
When Winnie and I are together, we always talk about our day and what we did. Sometimes I do have to wait for her to come home from her job to talk to her like we always do. I like it when she is all done with her things because when I get lonely I always have someone to talk to.
What’s the best part about being roommates together?
Paul: Having a roommate can help me feel way more independent because I am able to ask for help only if I need it. I like being able to live independently because I can do everything by myself and it lets me live up to my ability. I am able to do my apartment chores by myself.
I think that having a roommate really makes my daily life better because we have fun when we can do so many things together. She can help me in so many ways like loading the dishwasher and also by really including me when she wants.
Winnie: The best part about being Paul’s roommate is definitely the laughter. His ability to find humor in everyday situations makes living together enjoyable. Plus, his organized nature is something I admire and I am learning from.
Do you have any advice for someone who wants to live with a supportive roommate or become a supportive roommate?
There are many ways that I communicate very well with my roommate. It is so very important to let people know where I am, like when I go out and where I go out, and we do communicate by texting each other.
Winnie: I would advise someone to focus on communication and be open to learning from their roommate. It’s essential to listen to each other and share your thoughts honestly. Also, being organized and planning together can significantly enhance the living experience. Building a foundation of trust and respect is key to being a supportive roommate.
What are your plans and goals for the future as roommates?
My plan for my future is to keep my roommate Winnie and to really live in our condo for a very long time together.
