Friendship has always been a complicated subject for me. I used to judge myself for not having a big group of high school friends, college friends, work friends—the kind of neat social circles I saw other people posting about. I’ve never really had a solid “friend group.” Instead, I’ve had a few meaningful one-on-one connections here and there. Deep, but scattered. Quality over quantity. In college, my best friend and roommate had a psychotic break and had to move back in with her family. That changed everything. I eventually became close with someone else, but just as we built a rhythm, she moved across the country, and our dynamic shifted. For a while, I felt like I was cursed when it came to friendships. Especially with how often people say it’s so hard to make friends as an adult, I really believed I was just stuck. But eventually, I got intentional. I started putting myself out there through online platforms, Bumble BFF, and even tried an app called Timeleft, where you meet strangers for dinner. I stayed open and slowly started meeting people I clicked with. Now, I have a handful of people I regularly meet up with for dinner, go on trips with, keep up with online, and have phone calls with. Connecting with friends really keeps me going. If you’ve ever felt lonely, left out, or confused by changing friendship dynamics, I get it. Especially if, like me, you value friendship even more than family. I’d love to help validate those feelings and offer practical tips for building the kind of connections that feel meaningful to you.