Today is Erica’s birthday. For those of you who don’t know her, she and I roomed together freshman and junior years at Conn College and I credit her with shortening the mouthful of a nickname my best friends gave me to “soe.” Plus, she always makes it look so lovely with her calligraphic handwriting.

I thought it cool when I found out I was going to have a roommate from Japan. I was thinking she’d actually be Japanese, but really she was an upstate New Yorker who’d just lived in Japan for a few years.

When I reminisce fondly about my alma mater, Eri one of the main reasons why. The owner of a glowing Julia Roberts smile, Eri is permanently associated with Milano cookies, my passing economics (twice) and a Bronte class, Depeche Mode, textbook sharing (a real challenge on nights papers were due!), tromps through the arbo, a stuffed aardvark (more scientific types might actually deem it an armadillo), playing Rummy, the loan of a phone line when mine had been shut off, sipping cocoa under quilts, flowery poetry, and L.M. Montgomery stories (she actually loves a whole variety of books, but the Anne books may have been what cemented our friendship).

In the decade since college ended, Eri and I have had fewer and fewer chances to see one another, and that is sad. But I hope we’ll be able to catch up (at least briefly) when Rudi and I head to the Big Apple next week. In the meantime, Eri, have a terrific birthday!