This 2017-2018 school year has been a new, amazing experience for me. I have made friends with people I would have never expected to and improved on my weaknesses.

Although, everything seemed to be going my way, I felt something was not right.

During a discussion with Dr. Smith, she asked me, “How is your roommate, and do you guys get along?” I do not have a roommate. I live in a small, single dorm in Wendell where it is so easy to lock yourself in your room and not talk to anyone. That discussion with Dr. Smith concluded with my realization that maybe this feeling I had was loneliness.

Not having a roommate, who I could enjoy time with or even annoy, could have opened that hole, the rift that made life seem a little off. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love having a single dorm room. It was a way for me to focus on myself, and not another person who shares a room with me.

As humans, we all thrive off of human interaction. The advice I was given, was to reach out to others, especially others that might seem lonely.

Realizing that the rift was loneliness, I started to try to not be in my room and be as hermetic as before. I reached out to talk to new people adding to my list of close friends at school. It is that advice, I want to give to everyone here at The Hill.

It was not easy though, because naturally, I am an introverted person. For me, it means that social settings are not something I look forward to. Even when I am pushed to go out, I need to recharge, to go back to my room, and get personal downtime. Even though that’s how I am, it is very easy to feel lonely, especially when I’m used to just locking myself in my room. As soon as I started to get out of my comfort zone, I started to feel whole again.

For others in our community that are introverted like myself, I suggest you step out of your comfort zone and try to talk to someone. Find someone that has something in common with you. It could be a show you watch or a sport you play. You could share a class with them or share a hobby. Use that to start a conversation, and if you feel that empty feeling that I did, maybe just finding a new friend can solve that.

However, for those who do not find it hard to get out of your comfort zone to converse with others, reach out as well. Reach out to someone who may seem lonely, or may lock themselves in their room all the time (literally or figuratively). Just remember that human interaction goes a long way.