You have probably spent hours, days, weeks, or even months perfecting what your new character can do, who they are, and where they came from. It is even possible you have spent time crafting a well thought out character backstory that includes everything from the fact that the Unas (Stargate SG-1) of P3X-888 killed everyone in your village and then raised you as one of their own, down to why mint chocolate chips are the best chips for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice-cream.
These are ALL very important details to include in your character's backstory. And it is even possible that some of these details will make their way into the game's storyline.
But when it comes to that very first game session (Session 0 or Session 1), it all boils down to one question with many possibilities.
What has happened very recently that brought your character to this particular meeting place?
The week prior to that very first game session is a week filled with so many possibilities and uncertainties for your character. Some of these possibilities might include things such as:
Is your character running away from a crime they did (or didn't) commit?
Did they just quit their job at the local winery to find a life of adventure?
Did they stumble upon a dangerous prophecy and wanted to do something to prevent (or encourage) it?
Was their family dying of starvation and sent your character away to make a life for themselves and maybe send a little coinage home to support the family?
Or did they accidently create a world-ending virus and now they have to go on an epic journey through the galaxy to try to reverse the damage they have caused?
While a lot of RPGs tend to take place within a semi-localized area, planets are typically very large and can include sometimes very large areas where characters can come from. So it is quite conceivable that the characters at your game table might have come from hundreds or even thousands of miles away from where the game starts in that first session.
Given this possibility, what is it during that last week or so that has brought them to this particular location? Were they invited? Were they following hidden clues? Were they seeking riches and glory and this particular place is well known for providing that opportunity? Or were they born and raised here and just happened upon the adventure of a lifetime?
These and other questions like them are excellent things to think about when trying to define for your character what led them to this place on this date at this time in order to meet up with the rest of the adventurers at the game table.