Vault: She Moved Back In With Parents Because of Her Roommate

Summary

The Bert Show — Vault: She Moved Back In With Parents Because of Her Roommate

Date: May 26, 2026
Main Theme:
This episode centers around producer Joanna’s candid and often hilarious experiences of moving back in with her parents at 25 after a disastrous roommate situation. The conversation explores millennial and adult child “boomerang” living, generational expectations, boundaries, and the sometimes fraught (but loving) dynamic of returning home as an adult.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Did Joanna Move Back Home?

• [01:40] Joanna shares that, after renting out her own house and moving downtown to save money, she ended up with three roommates. The problems began due to “different lifestyles”—her main issue being one roommate who partied and stayed up late while she needed to get up early for work.
  • Quote: “He was coming home at, like, 3am and I have to wake up in, like, 45 minutes. And that 45 minutes is very crucial.” — Joanna [02:27]

2. The Roommate From Hell

• [02:39] Co-hosts prod Joanna to tell the full story, which includes threats of calling the police after a heated confrontation spurred by late-night karaoke.
  • Memorable Moment: Joanna recounts her roommate singing “Spice Girls” at 3am, sending her over the edge after trying to be patient.
  • Quote: “He came home at 3am and started singing karaoke Spice Girls upstairs. And I was just like, are you seriously happening?” — Joanna [03:00]

3. The Confrontation and Moving Out

• [04:26–05:42] Joanna describes finally going upstairs to address the issue, starting calmly but losing composure when her roommate became insulting and called her names.

  • Quote: “He started calling me a bitch… So I charged at him as if I was going to hit him and he got scared and backed up and then said he was gonna call the police on me and that I should get out of his house.” — Joanna [05:18, 05:26]

• Jason (another roommate/friend) intervened, and at 4am, Joanna and Jason packed up and went to her parents’ house.

  • Quote: “Jason had to stop the fight. And we packed up our stuff at four o'clock in the morning and went to my parents house.” — Joanna [05:42]

4. Embarrassment and Adulting Setbacks

• [06:05–06:22] Joanna expresses feeling embarrassed at being “kicked out by someone younger and much less responsible.”
  • Quote: “I've never been kicked out of anywhere… No one's ever had to kick me out. I got kicked out. That's embarrassing.” — Joanna [06:05]

5. Life Back With the Parents (‘Roommates’)

• [07:08] Joanna relabels her parents as “adult roommates” to make things feel less regressive.

  • Quote: “I like to refer to them as my roommates. So we're not gonna call them my parents. They're my roommates now.” — Joanna [07:13]

• She enjoys home-cooked meals and a clean room—things her friends and co-hosts tease her about.

  • Quote: "I come home and there's always dinner waiting for me on the table, and my room is always cleaned for me, and the bathrooms are clean." — Joanna [07:27]

• Melissa, a frequent co-host, is critical, believing adults should shoulder more responsibility even back at home.

  • *"When I graduated, it was time for me to go and be my own ad and do my own cleaning, my room. And she's done her responsibility to." — Melissa [08:19]

6. Generational and Cultural Differences

• The cast discusses whether it’s taking advantage of parents’ generosity, and how in some families/communities, “boomerang kids” are welcomed, while in others it’s discouraged.
  • Quote: “My parents love the fact that I came back… It's cute watching them wanna teach me stuff. Still. Like, whenever my mom's cooking, she's like, come here, Joanna. Let me show you how I make this dish so that…” — Joanna [11:13]

7. Gratitude and Reciprocity

• The importance of expressing appreciation and contributing at home, rather than taking parental support for granted.

  • Quote: “It's about appreciation for it, too. It's not taking advantage of the fact that Mom's cooking dinner for you each night… and making sure you're doing things in return for them.” — Co-host 1 [10:19]

• Joanna insists she’s grateful and does her own laundry, but that her mom insists on still doting on her:

  • *“I mean, I absolutely appreciate everything they do for me… when I do come home and my mom has cooked dinner, she shoves food in my face. That’s just how my mom is. She's just a very giving person.” — Joanna [10:52]

8. Moving Out Plans

• [09:16] Joanna has a plan: after some trips and the holidays, she aims to move out by mid-February.
  • Quote: “My move out date is mid February. Once everything is done, I'm back from all going home for the holidays with Jason's parents.” — Joanna [09:16]

9. Would Co-hosts Let Their Kids Move Back?

• Melissa admits she’d allow a brief stay but expects adult children to clean up after themselves and contribute if living at home.
  • Quote: “If they live in my house, then they're cleaning their own room, they're doing their own laundry, and they're cooking their own food.” — Melissa [09:39]

10. Final Thoughts: Embracing the Situation

• Joanna ends on a positive note, saying her parents are happy to have her back and she’s learning to accept—and even enjoy—the arrangement.
  • Quote: “It did [bum me out]. But now I'm just like whatever my roommates love me having there.” — Joanna [12:21]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “He came home at 3am and started singing karaoke Spice Girls upstairs. And I was just like, are you seriously happening?” — Joanna [03:00]
• “He started calling me a bitch… So I charged at him as if I was going to hit him and he got scared and backed up and then said he was gonna call the police on me and that I should get out of his house.” — Joanna [05:18, 05:26]
• “I've never been kicked out of anywhere… No one's ever had to kick me out. I got kicked out. That's embarrassing.” — Joanna [06:05]
• “I like to refer to them as my roommates. So we're not gonna call them my parents. They're my roommates now.” — Joanna [07:13]
• “My parents love the fact that I came back home … It's cute watching them wanna teach me stuff.” — Joanna [11:13]
• “It's about appreciation … and making sure you're doing things in return for them.” — Co-host 1 [10:19]

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Key Timestamps

• [01:35–01:54] — Joanna's reasoning for moving back
• [03:00–04:25] — The late-night Spice Girls incident and escalating tensions
• [05:16–05:42] — The confrontation, threats of police, and rapid move out
• [06:05–06:22] — Joanna reflects on embarrassment and “adulting”
• [07:13–08:07] — Life at home as “roommates” and boundary blurring
• [08:19–09:15] — Responsibility, finances, and parental roles
• [09:16–10:19] — Plans for independence and gratitude for parental support
• [11:13–12:04] — Culture, family appreciation, and intergenerational dynamics

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Takeaway

This episode delivers frank, relatable humor and empathy about moving backward to move forward, navigating family expectations, and the messiness (and comfort) of temporarily returning to the nest. Whether you’re a parent, a young adult, or just living with “adult roommates,” you’ll find laughs and reassurance in Joanna’s very real story.

Transcript

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Q U-E-S-T.com Spinquest is a free to play social casino void where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details. The Birch show producer Joanna At 25 years old, living back with moms and pops.

[Joanna]

Yeah, living back at the parents house.

[Co-host 1]

When did that happen? I thought you got a roommate.

[Joanna]

Well, I did. I was living, you know, I rented out my house to help save some money and I moved down to the city. But one of the. It was three roommates.

[Co-host 2]

Was this a couple years ago?

[Joanna]

Huh.

[Co-host 2]

How long ago did this happen?

[Joanna]

This happened just a few months ago.

[Co-host 2]

Okay.

[Joanna]

So one of the roommates, we just have different lifestyles. He stays up very late and I have to wake up very early and it just wasn't working out so I had to leave, you know.

[Co-host 1]

That's driving you crazy? Yeah.

[Host]

On the front end of this story, how did you meet this roommate? It was this, like, a random man, mutual friend. Okay.

[Joanna]

So then I moved back home, and I thought I was gonna hate it. I thought it was gonna be horrible living at home. I have to live at home.

[Host]

Wait, hold on, hold on. You're yada, yada, yada in this whole thing. We are skipping over a whole bunch of stuff here, Whole bunch of stuff here. They kept separate hours, but this guy was up partying all night.

[Joanna]

Right, Right. He was coming home at, like, 3am and I have to wake up in, like, 45 minutes. And that 45 minutes is very crucial. So are you asking me to tell the whole.

[Co-host 2]

Like, didn't you threaten him with violence? Didn't Jason have to break you and your roommate up at one point?

[Joanna]

Yes, I had. The cops threatened to be called on me.

[Melissa]

What?

[Host]

What happened? Oh, I forgot about that.

[Co-host 1]

What happened?

[Co-host 2]

And look at how shocked she is at birth.

[Melissa]

I can't. Is that what you wanted to talk about?

[Host]

Part of the evolving story, I think. Yeah.

[Joanna]

Well, okay. So it was happening the first week. I realized that this wasn't going to be working out. You know, he came home at 3am and started singing karaoke Spice Girls upstairs. And I was just like, are you seriously happening?

[Co-host 1]

So furious.

[Joanna]

Right. So by the time we get up in the morning, you're right.

[Co-host 1]

Those 45 minutes are precious.

[Host]

And he knew when you guys signed up to be roommates that you had to get up really early.

[Joanna]

Right, exactly.

[Melissa]

But we're the only ones that understand how precious those 45 minutes are. Nobody who does not have this schedule, nobody understands it.

[Joanna]

Right. And the thing is that he doesn't work because he's in school. And right now he's out of school, so he's been going out a lot. And I thought that I made it clear to him, like, hey, the other day you did a great rendition of Spice Girls, but could you maybe do it later in the morning when I'm gone? And then he said he would try and keep it down, but then it started up again. And one night I was trying to keep my mouth shut, and I just laid there for four hours, not being able to sleep because it was just the banging and the yelling and the partying upstairs.

[Host]

Got a whole bunch of people there with him.

[Joanna]

Yeah, well, no, he had, like, two people, but they were making enough noise for like, 100 people. And Jason kept telling me, don't say anything. Don't say anything. You know, just try to go to bed, and you can't you can't sleep through that. And I'm on the bottom floor and it's our hardwood floors through the house. So every step sounds like it's magnified by a hundred.

[Host]

Sure.

[Joanna]

So I finally, I had enough and I went upstairs and very calmly said,

[Host]

hey, you sure it was calm?

[Joanna]

I did start off calm.

[Host]

Start off.

[Joanna]

That's funny.

[Melissa]

Well, before you started off calm, did the walk up the stairs, was it a little louder than normal?

[Co-host 2]

Step, step, step.

[Joanna]

Yeah, probably.

[Host]

We have been working with each other all that long. But I don't see you as the keeping the cool head kind, you know, when you're really, really upset.

[Joanna]

But I was at first very calm because he's younger than her. Calm for her, he's younger than me. I felt like there's a certain way you have to speak to him. And down.

[Co-host 1]

Very condescending.

[Joanna]

Childlike.

[Host]

Right?

[Co-host 2]

Condescending.

[Joanna]

Well, and then he started kind of insulting me and that's when the calmness was out the window and I.

[Melissa]

What is sort of insulting? What do you mean?

[Joanna]

Well, he just started calling me names, he started calling me a bitch, things like that.

[Host]

Now are you sure where he's not from that that's not a term of endearment?

[Joanna]

I don't think so. Maybe. I don't know. I didn't take it as a term of endearment. So I charged at him as if I was going to hit him and he got scared and backed up and then said that he was gonna call the police on me and that I should get out of his house.

[Host]

So we got all Jerry's friends.

[Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Joanna]

So then that's when Jason had to come up there and Jason had to stop the fight. And we packed up our stuff at four o' clock in the morning and went to my parents house.

[Co-host 2]

I love the fact that the story Joanna's original vers. Well, I had a roommate, but I've decided to move back in with my parents.

[Melissa]

It's not working out.

[Co-host 2]

Like if you drive up to your parents house at 4am Then we need to know the story that led into that.

[Host]

Right, Right.

[Joanna]

I mean it's embarrassing. I'm 25 years old. I had my own place. Oh, I still do have my own place, but it's rented now. I've never been kicked out of anywhere. It's always been my own place. No one's ever had to kick me out. I got kicked out. That's embarrassing.

[Host]

By somebody younger than you?

[Melissa]

Yeah.

[Co-host 1]

And much less responsible too.

[Joanna]

Exactly. So it's just an embarrassing. Thanks for letting me embarrass myself once again.

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[Host]

That's what we do. So did you call your parents and tell them you were moving back in, or did you say, I'm just gonna be there one night, then you tried going back?

[Joanna]

No, I. I was like, you know what? I'll just move back home. You know, I. The holidays are coming up, I can save some money and I'll just live at home for a little while. And, I mean, Jason was gonna have us drive to Columbus. I was like, I'm not driving two hours at 4 o' clock in the morning with no sleep. I was like, just call my parents.

[Host]

So he was ready for you guys to, like, move in together or just for that night?

[Joanna]

No. What do you mean? I'm not sure.

[Host]

You said something about Columbus there.

[Joanna]

Oh, no, no, no. He wanted us to drive home to Columbus that night. The night that I called my parents at 4 o' clock in the morning because we had nowhere else to go.

[Co-host 2]

Okay.

[Joanna]

So now I'm living at home.

[Host]

All right, as a 25 year old. And that's a lot more difficult than when you're 14, right? In some ways.

[Joanna]

In some ways, I like to refer to them as my roommates. So we're not gonna call them my parents. They're my roommates now.

[Co-host 2]

They're my adult roommates.

[Joanna]

They are.

[Melissa]

And if with roommates you share responsibility, so I'm sure that you're doing as much as they're doing.

[Joanna]

No, absolutely not. It's great. I come home and there's always dinner waiting for me on the table, and my room is always cleaned for me, and the bathrooms are clean.

[Melissa]

Are you serious?

[Joanna]

Yeah.

[Melissa]

You are allowing your parents to clean your room?

[Joanna]

Absolutely. I've lived on my own since I was 18. I need a break.

[Host]

Oh, boy, this is gonna get ugly. Cause Melissa feels very strongly about this. Like, once you're out of the house.

[Co-host 1]

Jeff is hiding behind the couch right now.

[Host]

Once you're out of the house.

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The house.

[Host]

Melissa thinks you're out of the house.

[Co-host 1]

Is Mommy doing your laundry too?

[Joanna]

No, I'm doing my own laundry.

[Co-host 1]

Is Mommy making your lunch?

[Joanna]

No, I make my own lunch. She does make me coffee in the mornings because she wakes up at the same time I do.

[Melissa]

The coffee's okay. If anything about that. That's okay.

[Host]

Is she cutting your meat up into little pieces for you before you eat it?

[Joanna]

I've got that.

[Co-host 1]

Is Mommy giving you Flintstones vitamins?

[Joanna]

No, but it's nice because I come home, there's always food in the refrigerator.

[Melissa]

Oh, I'm sure that'd be nice if I went in and Millie Pete took care of me. But when I graduated, it was time for me to go and be my own ad and do my own cleaning, my room. And she's done her responsibility to. My opinion is that parent, in the recession, there's immunity for some people. So, like, I haven't been as strong now because I know those who are financially strapped. It's embarrassing to go home and I understand so. But I do believe if you're financially sound to do it. Your parents have done their time. They've done their time, they've invested, they've gotten up, they've cared for you, and now it's time to be an adult.

[Joanna]

And I have been, you know, like I said, I've lived on my own since I was 18. Am I financially sound? No. I'm bartending and I'm working here. And it's not enough to make ends meet, which is why I moved downtown because it was going to be cheaper. That's why I rented my house. Well, realized that wasn't going to work, so I moved back home and now I'm going to put some money away and hopefully pay off some debt before I get married.

[Melissa]

So when are you going to move out?

[Joanna]

My move out date is mid February. Once everything is done, I'm back from all going home for the holidays with Jason's parents. And then in January, we have a few trips and I've said January. I mean, February will be the time that I moved.

[Host]

Melissa, if Joanna is your daughter and she calls you with the same scenario, the exact same scenario, if you're mom's, you say, sorry, you got to work this thing out yourself.

[Melissa]

Well, you know, to a certain point, yes. And then if they can't work it out themselves, then if they live in my house, then they're cleaning their own room, they're doing their own laundry, and they're cooking their own food.

[Joanna]

Okay, well.

[Melissa]

Or you're cooking food for me. I've cooked food for you for 18 years. So it's time. Hey, you want to move in and live rent free? Guess what? You're cooking for me.

[Host]

That's not what I asked you though. If it's the same situation and you're her mom, do you let her move back home?

[Melissa]

You know, because the holidays may be for the month, but I don't know if I wouldn't let her stay till February.

[Co-host 2]

Melissa's got that Christmas spirit, but if

[Melissa]

it was before Thanksgiving, I mean, I. Because I do believe. I do believe there's some people that take advantage of it. And I do believe if you have to live at home, then and you want to be considered an adult, you do not let your parents do what they did for you when you were a kid.

[Co-host 1]

To me, it's about appreciation for it, too. It's not taking advantage of the fact that Mom's cooking dinner for you each night or doing, you know, all those nice things, because there's probably part of your mom that's really happy to do it for you because she's needed again. She's sort of, like, picking up that role. And I feel that when I go home for the holidays and spend time with my family and my parents, my mom can't wait to dote on me and my brother. But when it's an extended period of time, I think it's about appreciating that.

[Joanna]

I mean, I absolutely love.

[Co-host 1]

And making sure that, like Melissa said, you're doing things in return for them, and you're making sure that they know you've got so much gratitude for what they're doing for you, rather than taking advantage of that.

[Joanna]

I mean, I absolutely appreciate everything they do for me, you know, and when I do come home and my mom has cooked dinner, she shoves food in my face. You know, that's just how my mom is. She's just a very giving person. She's always baking, always cooking. You know, I do my own laundry, but she'll be like, no, no, no, just give it to me. And I'm like, no, I can do my own laundry.

[Co-host 2]

Can I have your room when you move out?

[Co-host 1]

Absolutely.

[Joanna]

And, you know, I appreciate my parents. And I think that that's maybe a different in culture too, though. I think my parents, like, are. My parents love the fact that I came back home and they love having me there and my dad's there. It's cute watching them wanna teach me stuff. Still. Like, whenever my mom's cooking, she's like, come here, Joanna. Let me show you how I make this dish so that.

[Melissa]

Joanna, I'm teaching you how to make this dish so you get out and

[Co-host 1]

so make that cute boy happy. That's what she wants you to do. She wants to make that cute boy happy.

[Joanna]

Jason loves it more than I do because she's always baking and cooking for him, too.

[Co-host 2]

Is it weird it's a culture thing

[Melissa]

that mothers cook for their. I don't think it's a culture thing for a mother to be excited that a child is home. I just think that the responsibility is on the adult children to make sure that they are not behaving as they did when they were a teenager.

[Host]

That's a tricky one right there. For me, it wouldn't even be an option. Like I would have to figure out something other than moving in with my parents. No matter what recession. It would have to be somebody else.

[Joanna]

I mean, I thought the same way, but until it happens to you, you can't really say that, right?

[Host]

Does it bum you out that you have to be back there? I can see it in your eyes.

[Joanna]

It did. But now I'm just like whatever my roommates love me having there. So you mean

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