OUR STORY

The story of RM 5.5 began in April 2023, in a bustling 5th-grade classroom at Melrose Elementary. Like all students, you'd line up at the start-of-day stars, each marked with a room number. But between Room 5 and Room 6, there was a peculiar, blank star. It was here that a simple act of choosing a unique spot sparked an idea, and my class began lining up there, playfully dubbing it "Room 5.5." This name quickly shortened to RM 5.5, and eventually, just 5.5. A significant influence on the website's identity came during its creation. While on a Zoom call with my friend, Maxwell, I noticed his Moomin™ shirt. Max's mother is Estonian, and Estonia's proximity to Finland, the home of Moomin™, brought this charming character into our world. Moomin™ quickly became the official mascot of 5.5, inspiring background themes and much of the website's aesthetic. I even developed unique pages like MOOMIZON – a playful nod to Amazon, featuring Moomin™-related products and custom-made 5.5 merchandise.