I graduated high school in June 2016. That summer—the “last one” before college, meant to be the best ever—was anything but. For me, it was miserable. At my parents’ urging, I scrambled to find a job. Since I wasn’t starting college until January, I had six long months to fill. In a twist of fate (or bad luck), my mom had to return something at Bed Bath & Beyond. They were hiring. I applied and landed a job as a replenishment associate, making a whopping $8.50 an hour.

During this time, I was also recovering from a car accident that left me with driving-related PTSD. So on top of a terrible boss, grueling early mornings, and toxic coworkers, I was battling crippling driving anxiety. Because of this, I didn’t go anywhere except work and home — no beach trips, park dates, or weekend adventures. In short, I was stuck in a cycle of unhappiness, feeling uninspired and isolated.

Fall wasn’t much better. I took classes as a non-matriculated student at a local university to stay on track for graduation. The classes were fine, but being a commuter meant I couldn’t really connect with anyone outside of them. And during class, people weren’t exactly looking to make friends. The cold weather settled in, and so did the isolation. A much needed break came in the form of a family trip to England in November.