Encounter
noun, verbal noun
It doesn't matter what kind of treatment you get on your encounter with new people because it's the encounter itself that's scary! Don't worry, people are just people. They shouldn't make you nervous.
This is a jukugo word that uses the on'yomi readings of the kanji. You should be able to read this on your own.
悲惨な交通事故に遭遇しました。
I encountered a tragic traffic accident.