Friendsgiving was a thing. It was a great thing. With all the little bumps in planning, attendees, and timely arrival, the end result was an amazing excess of great conversation and food. Surrounded once again by people you've known for years rather than months was familiar and comfortable.
Familiarity and comfort are not at all bad. I know there's this huge push in college to get out there, go out your comfort zone, and try new things, but honestly, I love comfort and familiarity. And that's okay with me. Some of my favorite moments in college have been decorating my dorm, reveling in the greatness of the decorations, and taking good long naps. Very exciting, I know. But you know, gravitating towards the comfort doesn't mean I'm missing out on the entire college experience. Your life is what you make of it, and sure I probably missed events and people, but it really is not something I regret.
My preference for staying indoors isn't going to stop me from meeting new people at school or heading out to events because I know there needs to be a certain balance between comfort and exploration. Now finding that balance, ha, that's the difficult part.
My tip for finding a balance? Focus on what you want. If you keep looking around at what others are doing, you'll only feel inadequate. Seriously, no one really knows a perfect balance. All those people are looking at others too. That balance will always change, so don't freak out when you find yourself in a very different place than you ever thought you would be.
With all that change, however, don't forget your past. Don't let your closest friends from high school go. That is, ultimately, what I learned from my Friendsgiving this first year of college. Friendships change as people change and grow, and you will lose some people along the way. But if there are people in your life who you have connected to so closely, don't let your friendship fade away just because of distance or time conflicts. Come on, that's what the internet is for! Comfort is necessary in order to not become overwhelmed.
Keeping up with people does not even have to be constant texting and hangouts. Just send a quick text of "Next week. 2pm. Boba. Let's go." Or even "Hey, how's your life, how's work, how's school, how's your dog?!!" If someone truly values you, they will absolutely want to talk to you again. If time goes on and you both change and no longer connect, then that's fine. But don't let someone go just for the sake of cutting off your entire past or simply not putting in the effort to talk to them.
