DEAR HARRIETTE: I moved out of my dorm last year with three weeks left in the semester. I had a randomly assigned roommate, and our relationship started off well. As the year progressed, she started to bring her two friends into our room every day. If they had left at a decent time, I would’ve been OK with this as I wasn’t in the room very much; however, they were often in our room until at least midnight. I would then awkwardly have to ask them to leave, which would cause a lot of tension in the air.

Whenever I had people in the room, my roommate would get irritated and ask for them to leave. It seemed as if she was asking me for a courtesy that she never gave me in return. This was the final straw to me, and I put in the request to move. How could I have communicated with her better in order to avoid letting the situation escalate to me moving out? Do you think this was the right choice? -- Roommate Drama

DEAR ROOMMATE DRAMA: Learning to live with others and respect boundaries is one of the most difficult tasks in life. When you are in school -- and even afterward if you have a roommate as you start your independent life -- you need to establish house rules, boundaries and intentions to ensure that everyone is in alignment. Even then, you will have to reinforce them time and again.

In your situation, it sounds like your roommate bullied you out of your home. That is not OK. I understand why you felt you had to leave, but you also could have lodged a formal complaint with your school about her and asked them to reprimand or move her.

DEAR HARRIETTE: Recently, a close friend of mine came to visit my city, and she complained the entire time. It was a difficult experience, and I'm unsure of how to proceed in our relationship. To give you a little background, my friend had always wanted to visit my city and experience its unique culture. However, once she arrived, she was quick to complain about everything. She hated the food, the weather and the crowds. Her complaints became so frequent that it made it challenging for me to enjoy spending time with her. While I tried to offer suggestions to help improve her experience, she still couldn't seem to enjoy anything.

Do you have any advice on how to approach my friend and talk to her about her behavior? I would love to continue our friendship, but her constant complaining really made me view her in a different light. -- Stop Complaining

DEAR STOP COMPLAINING: Tell your friend you want to have a debrief call with her about her visit. Ask her what she thought about it. Listen carefully and let her complete her thoughts. Then tell her how you felt, particularly about her constant complaining. Express your disappointment and frustration. See how she responds.

You can forgive her, but you may think twice about inviting her to visit again -- at least anytime soon.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions toaskharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I've been dealing with a situation where my parents constantly tell family members about my personal life without my consent. This has caused me a lot of distress as I feel like my privacy is being violated. It's frustrating to think that I have no control over what personal information my family members know about me. My parents seem to believe that it's their right to disclose this information, but I strongly disagree.

I value my privacy and would prefer to have control over who knows about my personal life. I've tried talking to my parents about this issue, but they don't seem to understand how their behavior is affecting me. They say it's not a big deal and I shouldn't be so concerned about what others know. I believe that everyone has a right to their own privacy and that it's not up to others to decide what information should be shared.

I'm at a loss for what to do. My parents aren't taking my concerns seriously, and I don't know how to make them understand how important this is to me. Should I keep my parents out of my personal business, too? -- Chatty Parents

DEAR CHATTY PARENTS: In a word: yes. At least for now, your parents cannot be trusted with knowing your personal information. They have told you as much and shrugged off your concerns. So it’s time for you to draw the line. Stop telling them your business. Hopefully, in time, they will notice and ask to be welcomed back into your covenant of confidentiality. They have to earn their way back.

DEAR HARRIETTE: This January, I went to Ghana for the first time. I am half-Ghanaian, and I have family there, including my grandparents, who my dad and I stayed with. I loved visiting there to see a part of my identity, but I had a rough time adjusting. My dad grew up there for a period of his childhood, but he never told me much about his experience or what to expect. As a result, I was unprepared.

I didn’t have the correct clothes; I was wearing shorts and a tank top while everyone else was in more conservative clothes to protect themselves from bugs and the sun. I didn’t know how to properly interact with adults or elders because their English dialect is very different, as are their customs. Lastly, I wasn’t prepared for the shift in bacteria in the food, and I got very sick for half of my stay.

I feel resentment at my dad for not telling me more about what to expect. Should I be mad at my dad for not telling me more about his country, or should I be mad at myself for not doing my own research? -- Bad Trip

DEAR BAD TRIP: Write a note to your family members in Ghana thanking them again for sharing their beloved country with you. Apologize for not knowing some of the customs, including how to dress properly. Let them know that you hope your ignorance did not offend them. You may want to tell them you hope you can return soon to get to know them and their country better.

Talk to your dad and tell him that you felt uncomfortable because you were unprepared. Forgive him for not fulfilling his role in preparing you, and forgive yourself for not figuring it out in advance.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’ve usually only kept one or two close friends around me and considered the rest of the people I interacted with acquaintances. I tried having a larger friend group, and that didn’t fare well for me for many reasons, so I went back to just having one or two close friends. I find myself sometimes wishing that larger friend groups were for me because when my one friend is busy, I have to plan to do things by myself or not at all. I also feel as if I’m missing out on those “movie moments,” where you see a friend group doing something crazy together. I don’t know if I should give a friend group another chance or if I should just continue the way I am going with my life. -- Alone

DEAR ALONE: Some people are great at group interactions and engagements. Others, not so much. It is OK that you fall into the second group. It is important that you understand how you interact with people and what makes you comfortable. If you naturally find yourself making friends with a group of people, by all means explore that and see if it can work for you. In group dynamics, often individual members are closer to some friends than others, but if you sit back and observe and notice how people engage each other, you can find a rhythm that works for you.

If you don’t find that group, that’s OK too. It is even OK to make that movie moment a solo experience. Take yourself to the movies and enjoy what you see. Invite someone from work or your neighborhood to join you from time to time. You can be brave and bold in that way by inviting new people in, but don’t be afraid of going solo.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a very clumsy friend. Every time she comes over to my house, it seems that she inevitably breaks something of mine. It has almost become a running joke, but I'm getting really frustrated. The last time she came over, she accidentally knocked over a vase and shattered it. Before that, she spilled red wine on my new white carpet, leaving a permanent stain. And before that, she somehow managed to break the arm off my favorite chair.

I know accidents happen, but it feels like this happens every time she visits. I've tried to confront her about it, and she laughs it off and insists that she's "just clumsy," but I can't keep replacing my things every time she comes over. What should I do? Should I stop inviting her over? Is there a way to address this without hurting her feelings? I don't want to lose my friend, but I can't keep letting her break my things. -- Clumsy Friend

DEAR CLUMSY FRIEND: Start planning dates with her outside of your home. Meet at a park, an art exhibition, a restaurant, a bar. Decide you will spend time with her discovering new sites and activities in your town. Be mindful not to choose things that are expensive. Look for free or low-cost activities that will inspire you two without destroying your home. If she asks why you aren’t inviting her to visit, tell her the truth: You want to preserve the friendship AND your furniture!

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)