Making new friends has always been one of the hardest things for me. I call myself an introverted extrovert, but whenever it is time to meet new people, the introvert in me takes full control. It feels like my whole body freezes. A week ago, I embarked on a journey. A new world. Before I started this journey, one thing friends and seniors kept hammering in my ears was to make friends. “Make friends. Make sure every moment counts.” I wish I could read a book or take a course on how to “make friends,” but it is too late for that now. I have little to no time for myself, talk less of the time to read a self-help book.
I didn't put too much thought into it. I kept something at the back of my mind; if I'm eventually unable to make friends on this journey, I will just do things on my own. When I got here, there were about four thousand people in a big building. I heaved. “Making new friends out of these four thousand people shouldn't be that difficult.” I thought to myself. And really, it wasn't. Because the next thing that happened shocked me. It proved to me that sometimes life allows us to have our way.
That same day, while I was worrying about how I would go about making friends who would shape the next few weeks of my journey, they came to me. They extended their hands first and without thinking twice, I grabbed it and embraced their friendship. Not just one person, but 7 at the same time. In the next couple of days they would come to be my roommates and although we speak different languages, I would come to understand that some human beings are pure souls and language cannot alter that.
We started off slowly. I introduced myself to them, and they did to me. I could have sworn they all told me their names that night, but the next day, I completely forgot all their names except for one – I remember just the first letter of his name: "A". I felt it would be weird to ask them for their names again, so I waited for the opportunity when one called out to another, and this time I picked it up and made an effort not to forget.
There are a lot of awful things to say about human beings. They are wild. They are selfish and wicked. They are proud and brutal. However, there are some who would make living life interesting and beautiful for you, and I am lucky to have made friends who would make my journey easier and more convenient.
Thanks for reading.