When you’re a kid, making friends is surprisingly simple. You sit beside someone in class, bond over the same cartoon, and suddenly you’re inseparable. In university, friendships often happen naturally too. You’re surrounded by people your age, navigating the same experiences, and opportunities to meet new people are built into your daily routine.

Then life starts to look a little different.

People move to new cities. Work schedules fill up calendars. Relationships become more serious. Friend groups evolve. Without realizing it, many of the built-in opportunities to make friends begin to disappear.

As a result, we’ve created this narrative that making friends in your twenties is nearly impossible.

But I don’t think that’s entirely true.

We hear a lot about how difficult it is to make friends as an adult, but not enough about the fact that people are doing it every day.

As someone who has made some truly wonderful friends in my twenties, I can confidently say that adult friendships are alive and well. Some of my closest friendships have come from places like work, mutual friends, social events, and even social media, for all its flaws, has made it easier than ever to connect with people who share similar interests. The opportunities to meet people are still there. They just tend to show up in different places than they did when we were younger.

The reality is that making friends in your twenties often requires a little more initiative than it used to.

Nobody is assigning seats or putting you into group projects anymore. Friendships tend to happen because someone sends the text, makes the plans, follows up after a conversation, or decides to introduce themselves first.

And yes, that can feel uncomfortable.

Putting yourself out there as an adult feels oddly vulnerable. Asking someone you’ve met once to grab coffee can feel suspiciously similar to asking someone on a date. You start wondering if you’re being too eager or overthinking a casual interaction that probably isn’t that serious.

Meanwhile, the other person is likely doing the exact same thing.

One thing I’ve realized is that most people are far more open to friendship than we give them credit for. They’re just waiting for someone else to make the first move.

The other misconception is that friendships need to happen instantly. We often compare new connections to friendships we’ve had for years. Of course someone you met a few weeks ago doesn’t feel like your childhood best friend. Those friendships weren’t built overnight either.

The strongest friendships are usually built through consistency.

It’s grabbing coffee after work. Sending the meme that reminded you of them. Following through on plans instead of saying “we should do that sometime.” Checking in. Showing up. Doing the small things repeatedly until a friendship naturally develops.

The good news is that there are more opportunities to meet people than we sometimes think.

Work friends become real friends. The acquaintance you always end up chatting with at events becomes someone you see regularly. A friend of a friend becomes someone you end up texting. Sometimes the best friendships start in the most ordinary places.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that friendship doesn’t have an expiration date. You don’t stop meeting great people once school ends. You just have to be open to where those connections might come from.

So send the text. Accept the invitation. Start the conversation.

Your next great friendship probably won’t come from a classroom you once sat in. It might come from the coworker you grab lunch with, the acquaintance you finally make plans with, or the friend of a friend you decide to get to know a little better.

The opportunities to make meaningful connections are still there. You just have to be willing to say yes to them when they appear.

Love, Laura