Tufts Blogs

Over the five days leading up to matriculation, I could be found on one of three lakes in western Maine, canoeing along with nine other freshmen and two upperclassmen leaders. We bonded over rain soaked sleeping bags, two-foot high waves, personal renditions of famous songs including Bohemian Rhapsody and Our Song, and hysterical stories from our childhoods. I knew without a doubt I wanted to sign up for Tufts Wilderness Orientation (T.W.O.), but I was surprised by how thoroughly I enjoyed it. I started orientation with many new memories, countless inside jokes, and eleven great friends. Our wilderness family (wilderfam) was one of the best (I might be bias), and I can confidently say even without the forced nature of living under the same tarp, that many of us would have become friends out of choice.

Outside of an academic environment and away from the hordes of people we would find awaiting us upon our return to Tufts, people weren’t afraid to step out of their comfort zone and try something new, which in the end broke down walls and allowed us to be our truest selves. The lack of showers put everyone in the same boat and broke down the most essential barrier of appearance. We joked that we may be different people as showered and put together individuals, but I believe that the trip brought out the most important parts of a person that would otherwise take weeks to find. What I saw in my friends on those five days was the purest form of their personalities, and I can’t wait to see more of it as our freshmen year continues.

Although I am no longer spending twenty-four hours a day with my wilderfam, I know there are many group dinners and events to come to bring us back together. As I start my week of orientation, and ultimately my first year at Tufts, I have them to lean on and come back to as I experience new things, meet new people, and stay up way to late studying.