Once the busy days of settling in were behind me, the patterns of routine began to form. Newness gave way to familiarity and I was proud of the way I navigated the practical logistics of independence. However, such positives did not ward off my increasing sense of isolation and loneliness. Living off site made authentic people connections irregular at best and I spent a lot of time alone in my room. My roommate, still a stranger at this point, juggled a busy schedule with part time work and was rarely home. Loneliness, like a weighted blanket, pressed me down as I realized building friendships and having a sense of belonging wasn’t going to be quick. It’s not a bad thing, though, to strip away the chatter and busyness and be left alone to think and acknowledge self. Mindfulness gradually became an antidote to despair and, over time, led to healthier choices related to spending my time and cultivating friendships. These were days of new beginnings for me and being away from the constraints of home added a broader spectrum of choices to the mix.