(Apologizing here first since English is not my native language so I used AI a bit to clear the logic and grammar mistakes)
This summer, I (22F) decided to go abroad alone to attend a Summer School. My mum suggested I should use this chance to make new friends, so I tried my best to reach out to people in class and also some girls staying in the same hotel for the program.
At class, I also tried my best to stay active—raising questions, making jokes, and joining discussions. Normally I’m a shy person, but since this class topic really interested me, I participated a lot. Everyone was generally very nice despite our different backgrounds. The teacher even suggested that we swap seats every day to get new deskmates, so I had about 4–5 different ones. I felt comfortable chatting with them during breaks, and we sometimes shared snacks. I shared mine too, because I really didn’t want to seem selfish.
At first, things went quite well. After one excursion we had a small gathering, and I felt included. Every day after class, 4–6 of us would grab lunch together. We’d chat, share stories, and laugh. After lunch, most of them usually went off to meet friends they already knew in town, while I often spent time on my own visiting museums, shopping malls, or libraries. Last weekend, we even went to bars together, and it was a really fun night.
But yesterday, I found out that these girls had a picnic together—and nobody invited me.
What makes it sting more is that the person who initiated the picnic is from the same country as me. In fact, we’re basically the only two girls from there! On top of that, my next-door roommates all went as well, while I was left wandering around the mall by myself.
It feels even stranger because one girl from my class, who is studying abroad in this country, has been really kind to me. We’d hung out privately 2–3 times and opened up about our struggles with anxiety. Then, on the night before yesterday, she DMed me asking about my plans for the next day. When I told her, she mentioned she was going to the picnic with the other girls. She wasn’t even super close to them, especially the picnic organizer, so that just confused me more.
I honestly don’t understand why I was excluded. Right now, I feel especially lonely because my roommate—who also came alone—had to leave early due to a family emergency. So I’ve basically been living alone for a while.
I just don’t get it. Why was I the only one left out?