Literature of Public Life Fall 2007

I believe that great minds think alike. It all started with the simple purchase of a plane ticket to Mazatlan, Mexico for spring break my senior year of high school with two of my best friends. Little did I know, a certain someone from Eveleth, Minnesota had the same intentions.

The date of our departure had finally approached as we boarded the exact same plane; each with our own group of friends counting down the hours until we would be lying next to the ocean, cocktail in hand, without a single worry in the world. Before that moment arrived, my friends and I were more than ready, having already changed into our swimsuits on the plane.

We were now about midway through our week long Mexico getaway, so we had developed a routine schedule for the day. After the last glimpses of sunlight began to fade, we headed in to glam ourselves up for the nightlife awaiting us. Tonight’s destination: Senor Frogs. We had quite the adventure as we walked the swarming streets; our self-esteem at its peak with compliments streaming in left and right. There were very few American tourists in Mazatlan at this time, so when my friends and I entered Senor Frogs and spotted some across the bar we jumped on the opportunity to meet them. To our surprise, we recognized our newfound friends from our flight into Mexico. I have come to believe spontaneity sparks life-long friendships, for this is how I met Kirsten. One conversation topic led to another, and Kirsten and I discovered that we shared much more than our spring break plans as common ground. We are both from northern Minnesota, both were planning on attending the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus, and the list goes on. Reluctant to part, we headed our separate ways back to our hotels for the night hoping to see each other again in the remainder of our vacation.

The following night as we stood in line on our way into a dance club, you guessed it- Kirsten’s crew showed up shortly after. Our final gathering occurred at the airport and on the plane ride back to Minneapolis. Here, we shared all the details of how the rest of our time in Mexico went and exchanged e-mail addresses before going our separate ways. At the time, it never really occurred to me that I might see Kirsten again.

Possibly the greatest decision Kirsten and I have ever made was becoming college roommates. Sometimes I wonder if we have cloned brains because literally everything we own and/or like are the exact same! On move-in day, we both showed up with identical comforters, sheet sets, laptops, you name it, all unplanned. We then proceeded to go shopping together and picked out the remainder of our dorm décor, since we share a sense of style. As the year progressed, we only grew closer.

Presently, we are still roommates and have never fought once in the existence of our friendship. Every day we catch ourselves picking outfits that are so similar you would think we planned it. I believe it was fate that Kirsten and I met that night, forever instilling in me the belief that great minds do think alike.