Roomies

It had been a long while since I had lived with a roommate, and sharing a small space with someone again was a concern of mine in coming to Chile after having lived on my own for so long. When Ita told me that my roommate was a 22 year-old chemistry student from the Ukraine, I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but in the last 4 months I have really come to love and appreciate my little S.
Those of us around the house are always telling her how funny she is and I don't think she understands why. She tells stories in Spanish with the same speed and enthusiasm that speaks Russian, and her insights are usually a combination of someone worldly, optimistic, and a little naive all rolled into one.
I love that when I come home from class at night she always asks me about my day, and when I reciprocate she tries to explain her chemistry formulas to me since she gets so excited about the work that she's doing. She talks about molecules and reactions and probably doesn't realize that I haven't studied anything chemistry related since my junior year of high school.
Most of all, I appreciate her sincerity. Nothing that we talk about feels like an effort to make small talk. She asks me about whether I miss my family or the USA and tells me that if I'm sad and I need to talk to anyone that I can talk to her. She inquires as to what language I will learn next (since she speaks 4) and to whether or not I have ever considered writing a book. (Not because of my tremendous writing skills!) The other morning in the kitchen she asked me "So, what did you dream about last night, Heather?"
Precious!