Greetings from me, Elise, recent College of Charleston transfer student, longtime lover of trying new things, and frequent worrier when things deviate from the plan. I just moved to the beautiful city of Charleston, South Carolina from my hometown of Panama City, Florida. It has been about two months and I definitely thought I would have things down pat by now. My expectations included, but were not limited to, being besties with my roommate, loving all of my classes, being the most productive version of myself, going to the gym more frequently, all the while I would be super involved in my new community and plugged into on campus clubs. I may have been a little too ambitious, which also reflects my busy-body personality. So, as you may have guessed, little to none of that has actually happened.
In reality, my roommate and I don’t really associate with one another. This was my first major bummer of the big move. I feel like I heard all these awesome stories about girls who became instantly attached to their roommate’s hip the day after move-in. As much as I wish that was the case for me, I think we are just two different individuals who happen to run in different circles. It hasn’t been terrible by any means, just not entirely ideal. Alongside that, I was not able to enroll in my major courses at the start of this semester due to a lack of expected transfer credits. Meaning that I am currently enrolled in a lot of general requirements, which again, is not ideal. This all happened while trying to navigate this new city, learning the ins and outs of Charleston life. I felt lost, a little scared, but mostly just really lonely. And to be clear, I still feel a little lost but it seems to be getting easier as the days fly by.
As much as I wish I had this accurate formula on how to start life in a new city, I don’t. (Sorry!) But, I do have some encouragement. So far, I have made one really great friend, along with meeting a few other pretty cool people. I can already tell this girl is going to be a longtime pal, which further proves the common phrase “quality over quantity.” With that, I also joined a fitness club on campus that hosts weekly workout classes with a bunch of other students. Seeking out community in areas that speak to your soul is the best advice I can give. I have shown up to many events all by myself and I have even felt like an outcast in some environments, but not giving in to your inner anxiety is crucial. If I would have listened to the lying little voice in my head that told me to give up trying all these new things, I would not have met half the people in my life today. So, I’m not saying it’s not scary — it is. But it is so worth it.