College can be lonely. I spent a lot of time my first three semesters of college trying to make friends. I wondered if I wasn’t at the right school or if I just hadn’t found “my people.” For a while I just kept my head down. Transferring to a new place with new people was terrifying and I felt alone every day. I ate alone, studied alone, and knew no one in my classes. When my professors would say to pick a partner, I panicked. Although a lot of people feel this way when coming to college, I didn’t want it to stop me from doing fun things. So, I decided to do them alone. I wasn’t going to miss out on opportunities just because I had no one to go with.
My entire life, I grew up snowboarding with my family and cousins. We would go once a week together. Then when I got to college with a beautiful ski resort only 30 minutes away, I knew I had to get a season pass. But what I didn’t anticipate was the conflicting schedules with friends and no time to go together.
I know it’s very normal to go snowboarding or skiing alone. I’ve probably ridden the lift with hundreds of people who were alone in my life and never took notice. But when I was the one asking people to join their group on the lift, I felt uncomfortable.
As I rode up the lift with strangers, one of them asked me some questions. I asked how the conditions were and we were talking about the weather. I didn’t feel judged at all, and the anxieties left me.
The rest of the night I explored so many trails and hills I had never been to before. I got lost a few times but always found my way back. It was outside of my comfort zone, but I am so glad I did it. I ended up having an amazing time by myself, listening to music, and being on my own timing.
This can go for anything like trying a new coffee shop or restaurant. I am really glad I didn’t miss out on this experience though. It is important for me to keep this message in mind and that is to not miss out on fun things just because you have to go alone. It may be scary or uncomfortable at first, but no one is judging you.
It is always better to do it alone than miss out on the experience altogether.