Unexpected Knowledge

I believe in picking yourself back up again. I grew up being shy and feeling out of place. I always only had one or two friends at a time and didn’t like change. I can remember trying to make new friends in high school or the beginning of college and never got anything out of it. People wouldn’t try to get together or call just to chat. This past year, I studied abroad in London, England. It was different, exiting, and new. I knew that I had to do something different or I’d never change from the person I was. I wanted to be someone better, someone that could walk up to strangers, introduce myself and make friends for life. It took me a lot longer during my year abroad to step outside my bubble than most people. I was placed in on-campus housing with only international students. There wasn’t a lounge, a cafeteria, or places to hangout on campus, so I felt cut off from people around me.

I made friends with a small group of international students, but my goal was to befriend English students. No matter how hard I tried, it just didn’t seem to happen. The only social interaction around was the nightlife and I wasn’t good at branching outside my group. One night in late November when I had recently come to terms that I might not come back to England after my Christmas break, I met an English boy. For once, I exchanged numbers and he kept in touch. He ended up being my boyfriend we’re still together.

Though him, I was able to open up to other people in a different country, which made making friends back home much more easy. Within days, I had met four of his friends. By the end of the next week, I had made over 15 new friends. Just by meeting them, I earned the privilege of being invited to events on the weekend and lunches after class. I couldn’t believe that it was so simple, all I had to do was introduce myself and people paid attention. Meeting a friend of a friend wasn’t something that became a forgotten trend; it was something more personal than that. I started to understand the English culture more and through that, used my new knowledge to gain relationships that will last a lifetime. The most important aspect that has developed from my experience is being back home after my yearlong absence.

I thought it would be very hard to get back with friends I hadn’t spoken to but once a month, make new friends, and get involved with my community again. But because I developed a new belief, it had helped me in ways I could not ever see myself doing. I’ve never made an effort to befriend neighbors, talks to people at bars, or be more open minded. Now I know many of my neighbors since I’ve returned from England, which I never thought I would be able to do. I ask people around me when going out to play pool with me when I don’t know them. By opening up to people and letting them feel at ease, it’s become so easy just laugh and have fun. This is what is necessary to keep good company that lasts. It just comes to me so easily now. Being in a country where I didn’t know anyone was the wakeup call I needed to get myself out of my shell and out into the world.