Student flat

Four strangers, bunk beds

I never planned to live in this flat. I actually never planned on even moving to Germany. I never would have thought that for six months, I would be living in a flat, sleeping on a bunk bed with three other boys. How everything managed to fall into place for me was maybe destiny or just really good luck. I had no intention of moving to this flat, living in Germany, or rooming with three other boys. I remember it being freezing, which was not surprising since it was the middle of December. The flat had many small rooms, and each room had bunk beds where students were packed together. There were around 100 students living in the building, and we all had to share one tiny kitchen. The kitchen was almost always a mess. There were dirty dishes everywhere, food left on the counters, and people’s belongings scattered around. Sometimes it felt like no matter how much we cleaned, it would become messy again within a few hours. At first, living there was difficult. I was not used to sharing such a small space with so many people, especially people I had never met before. Everything felt unfamiliar, from the language and the streets to the people I was living with. Even though the flat was crowded, messy, and loud, it slowly started to feel normal. Over the six months, the four of us became closer. We shared meals, jokes, arguments, and late-night conversations. What started as four strangers sleeping in bunk beds slowly became a friendship that I will always remember. Looking back, I realize that sometimes the places you never planned to be can become the places you remember the most.ma