I get so genuinely happy just thinking about my friends. Lately, I find myself wanting to hear from them constantly—I actually need to hear their voices.

I used to never be like this. Phone calls used to make me incredibly anxious and completely mute. But now? Instead of actively dodging incoming calls… I’m the one making them!

I’m also texting entirely differently. I find myself responding right away simply because I want to talk to them. I’m no longer afraid or overthinking whether I should have thrown an extra “lol” at the end of a sentence just to ensure people don’t think I’m being mean. I’m no longer sitting there calculating whether I’m only 70% confident in what I’m saying. I’m not worried about misinterpretation anymore, because they truly get me. I’m no longer spiraling over questions like, “What if they screenshot this and show it to someone?” or just letting fear convince me they won’t respond.

Also—and this is huge—I am sending voice memos and videos instead of typing out long, exhausting paragraphs, which used to be my absolute go-to communication style.

Why type when you can just talk? Growth is wild.