Day 114/360: Going Solo on Dead Night in Canada

Walking around the dorm I pass a girl asking the front desk for a water fountain. I open her situationally, talk about my travels and ask what there is to do around here. I get her number.

I walk around the streets. I see two girls in a deli so I go in. Cotton candy, tour guide. I get both their numbers, though they never respond.

I go into a bar. As I’m ordering a water, a guy introduces himself. I ask what he does, and he becomes confrontational, saying that’s a personal question, then batters me with personal questions like what’s my mother’s maiden name. I absurdify (Cindy Crawford) and keep chatting with him, because it’s interesting to have these kinds of challenging conversations. Eventually I win him over and he tells me to be cautious in Edmonton. He also teaches me to be more assertive in my speech — instead of saying, “I was offered an opportunity to come to Canada,” say “I was looking to travel and an opportunity came up, so I seized it.” We chat about life goals, some other stuff. I don’t take his number.

I walk around the streets. It’s pretty empty and the few girls I see I have too much approach anxiety to talk to.