The Atlas Obscura Podcast · Friday, September 25, 2026
A caller shared a story about a college romance with a neighbor during his time at UCSB. He described their relationship as a 'Jim and Pam from the office' dynamic, where they were often not single at the same time and their timing for a relationship was never right, despite having feelings for each other.
“And there was a girl next door. And, uh, the way our dorm was built, there were two ways in. And I had a crush on this girl, the neighbor girl. And I would sometimes take the long way around from my night job, just so I could pass her window.”
“We were basically Jim and Pam from the office. Portland from the office. We were never single at the same time. We never saw the clues. Uh, we were constantly breaking each other's hearts, the way that only people in their early 20s could.”
“The word toxic hadn't existed yet, but we were definitely bad for each other again, in a way only people in their early 20s could be.”