By Eden Mace
I didn’t know anyone going into this. Genuinely, not one person did I know outside of their name. To preface this, I don’t get out much. I’ve turned into a bit of an introvert in recent years and I tend to isolate myself, even from my friends and family. I was more than nervous going into this. I feared I was going to be too different, that I would be excluded and would end up doing a lot of this on my own. Imposter syndrome hit me hard, even before I got on the plane. But now, being here for over a week? I wouldn’t change it for the world.
I have had the pleasure of meeting and knowing some of the most fantastic and inspiring people. People who have worked harder to be here than anyone I’ve ever met, people who are talented and passionate, and who have helped me navigate this new situation. I won’t lie and say things have been ideal. There was a power surge at the institute and it fried my computer to the point of no return, leaving me stranded without a space to work on our projects. For a bit, I genuinely considered just giving up and going home. What else was I supposed to do? But I didn’t. I won’t lie, I did cry for about an hour. But I wouldn’t let my friends down. I knew I couldn’t let that happen. So I’m continuing my work, with the help of people who were complete strangers to me only two weeks ago. I’ve never been prouder to call someone my friends.
