I'm one of those people who seem sociable, but sometimes take a very long time to settle into new social circles. A dorm consisting of 3 Bulgarians and a few Americans became an absolutely alien place for me, where I slept until noon, worked all evening, and then wrote in my diary about boring days of nothingness. I tried to interact with these people, but I wasn't really drawn to them. I was with them, yet somehow far away.

But then this girl from Bulgaria named Miroslava (the one on the right) came into my life. One day, sitting next to me while not entirely sober, she said some very sensible things that I remembered for the whole summer. And I still remember them. Nothing supernatural. She just tried to inspire me to do something more than just constantly sitting in front of the TV with my phone. According to her stories, she had even more problems than I did. Or rather, a debt significantly larger than mine, but she didn't get discouraged at all; she worked and enjoyed life. Perhaps that's what motivated me, charged my system for the following months to get the maximum out of everything I saw around me. And I did get the maximum. I wasn't so lonely anymore because I interacted more with those around me. And I even learned how to ride a bike. Yes, I didn't know how before! Mira was the one who taught me.

And with Tip #14, I just want you to re-read what Miroslava said and really think about those words.