The universal child mantra, "don't talk to strangers," is so deeply ingrained into my approach of new spaces that I was involuntarily putting up an impenetrable guard against every person I met. My tough exterior was my main source of protection. But then, I noticed a trend: it was from my exchanges with strangers, those that managed to break through my guard, that I've learned the most about the world and its many facets. By keeping strangers at a distance, I was consequently cutting myself off from newness, from something bigger than myself.