Goal 5

It's strange how such a new experience can feel so familiar.

The uneasy faces of confidence and the nervous checks on my habits echo my experiences in freshman year. I'm the new kid and it's the first day of school when there's too much new sensory input to not feel self conscious. Am I laughing too much? What do they think of me? These sound like silly insecurities, but they've definitely crossed my mind. But these are the opportunities that brought me to Cambridge in the first place; another chance to be the new kid, another round of experiences to grow from.

And if I've learned anything, putting myself in uncomfortable situations is the best way for me to grow. It's so easy to retreat back to the people, the places, and the mannerisms that I'm used to. Although I'm in a different Cambridge, there's still many other MIT and US exchange students who I could go to as we all try to find our niche in this new habitat. But I came here to experience something new so I'm throwing myself into that mindset. Instead of easing in to it, I'm jumping headfirst into the things that I'm afraid of because why not. It's kind of like entering really cold water: it's easier to jump in and withstand the shock than to take it slow because you'll get used to it faster. So say hello to the new ballroom dancing, lone traveling, strangely un-athletic athlete who is now Connie :)

This past week has brought a lot of new adventures. There were salsa and waltz classes (I prefer salsa) that pushed my bodily coordination to its limits, but were fun nonetheless. I met many similarly clumsy and nervous individuals, and we laughed with each other and at each other as we tried to improve our barely there skills. There was also the badminton practice that helped reaffirm my goal to become more fit as my supportive teammates met my weak playing with only encouragement and helpful tips. Frisbee was also an option until I realized that the cold, rain, and muddied shoes would probably prevent me from going at all. But ballroom dancing and badminton are a start!

There's been a lot of changes and I'm optimistic that each new experiment will push me closer to Goal 6: finding future Connie. Existentialist? Maybe, but that's not a bad thing is it?