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Friendships can be forged in the most unexpected situations and places sometimes.

Last Sunday, I braved the rainy and windy morning and hopped on the G10 bus to get to Gilles at The Grounds. I’ve been there a couple of times before, but it was always with a friend, and I had come in through a different entrance. This time, I got off the bus at a completely different stop. While it was not far from the location, it was also not an entrance to the grounds that I was familiar with. I knew how to get to the exam hall from that entrance (it’s engraved in my mind at this point) but I didn’t know how to get to the shed where the market was held.

Google Maps also decided to act up a little while I was navigating through the rain. At one point I thought to myself, “Asirah, you don’t want to risk drenching yourself in the rain during winter as your umbrella gets turned inside out by the wind so do yourself a favour and ask directions from someone ASAP!”. I did just that. I saw a girl walking in the same direction as I was so I figured she might be heading the same way. I was right and she too was struggling to navigate to the shed. We ended up banding together to find our way. 

Along the walk, we got to talking. She had just graduated from Sydney and is now working in Adelaide, so she was out exploring the city. We learnt that we were both here on our own, so she asked if I wanted to go around the market with her to which I said yes. But we went on our own way not long after because I was on a mission to find a skirt for my Lady Bird costume and was taking a long time going through the racks – I didn’t want to hold her back, so we went off on our own at the end. Such a shame we never exchanged socials – I would’ve loved to learn more about her study experiences in Sydney and her work.

I guess the friendship was only meant to last for 40 minutes. It’s crazy though, that younger me wouldn’t have done quite what I did if put in the same circumstance. She would’ve been too anxious and too nervous to even make herself known to anyone. Growth, what an incredible thing! I guess that’s one thing I’ve learnt to do since moving overseas. Back home, I had the comfort of my own circle of friends and family, so I never really found it necessary to go out and make more friends but when you’re away from that comfort, you have to learn to seek out new connections and friendships.

Sometimes those connections come to you at the most random of times and places. Goes to show that everyone you meet has a story to tell, all you have to do is be prepared to ask and listen.