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Meeting new people

One of the things that a lot of people say to me when I talk about college coming up shortly, is “You will meet a lot of new people.” So I began thinking about what the older, more experienced people in my life may know that I have yet to realize.

I thought back to the last couple people I had met. A few weeks ago, while standing in a busy Starbucks, a stranger and I were waiting for our drinks. We just both happened to be the type of people who would rather create a conversation than stand awkwardly in silence for ten minutes. Making jokes about how long we’ve been in line seemed to pass the time quite well.

A few months ago, I went to one of my brother’s baseball games; I had just gotten done with “Mamma Mia!” so my plate was cleared to be able to do some other things. Who would have known that the people my dad set up our chairs next to would be my new, close friends. The mother and daughter who were at the game to support the girl’s boyfriend started a conversation with me. Coincidentally, on their last girls’ night out, they had gone to see “Mamma Mia!”

From there, the “rest was history,” as they say. This is not like other friendships where my friend and I have been classmates since middle school so we just happen to be on the same basketball team every year, or we always take the same math class or join the same club every year. We just happened to meet that day and hit it off quite well.

Besides making a new friend, I’ve also enjoyed getting to know her mom. She reminded me that although I will “meet so many new people in college,” I need to establish a strong sense of self and recognize the people in my life who are good for me, and perhaps even some who aren’t.

These two people definitely enhance my life, and I’m excited to meet others like them.

Seeing how my friendships with this mother and daughter formed, this allowed me to see why people are excited for me to meet new people; ever since I met them they’ve positively impacted my life. Getting to know new people, and the way they see the world, is just a part of growing up. I don’t really have to be, or feel that am nervous about meeting new people when I move away from home. I know there will be other experiences like this in which friendships will form on their own. I look forward to the insights and experiences these new people will bring with them.

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