Tell us about a time when you felt out of place.
There was a day in college that I still remember as vividly as if it happened yesterday. It was the annual cultural festivalโbright lights, loud music, and students from different colleges filling the campus. Everyone seemed to know where to go, what to do, and who to meet. Everyone, except me.
I stood in the middle of the buzzing ground, clutching a half-empty cup of coffee, scanning for familiar faces. My friends were running around helping with events, others were laughing with their groups, and I felt like a misplaced puzzle piece in a box full of perfectly fitting ones.
The music was too loud, the crowd too cheerful, and I was stuck in my headโasking myself: Why donโt I feel the same?
Instead of forcing myself into conversations that didnโt feel right, I slipped away. I walked toward the quieter side of the campus where the decorations ended, and silence returned. There, I found a small bench under a tree. I sat, sipping the last of my coffee, watching the shadows stretch as the sun dipped lower.
In that moment, I realized something. Feeling out of place wasnโt a flawโit was a sign. A sign that sometimes, my soul longed for peace instead of noise, depth instead of small talk, solitude instead of the crowd.
That evening, I didnโt join the dance floor or the games. Instead, I pulled out a notebook and wrote down my thoughtsโthe same thoughts Iโm sharing now. What felt like being out of place turned into finding the place I truly belonged: within myself, and later, in words.
Maybe thatโs the beauty of it. Sometimes when you donโt fit in, you discover where youโre really meant to be.
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