September 8, 2014 - 10:36
Meghna, I had a pretty similar experience, although I didn't go to Spain, haha. It was actually at the in-focus event in April here at Bryn Mawr, where we stayed with customs people overnight, yeah? I was so excited, and I was so sure that I would be friends with everybody at this college. Maybe the person I was staying with would become one of my best friends when I attended school later in the year! However, sitting with her in the Rock common room—her talking about her interests and me talking about mine—I realized that our personalities and interests didn't mesh at all. There was a lot of uncomfortable silence, actually, since I'm not much of a talker, either. It was a bit disheartening, and a wake up call that maybe I couldn't connect to every person I met.
Later that night, all of the prospies and our host students gathered in the campus center, and I found other host students who did fit with me, and I remember thinking that I wish I could've had them as my hosts. Still, I don't have anything against the girl I stayed with, but the whole thing's helped me understand that you can find friends in people you weren't looking for.