New people and new experiences are a part of life that just have to happen, in my opinion. They are what keep the world moving. As the saying goes, they make the world go round. Personally, I’ve had a lot of newness in my life this past year—new friendships, a relationship, and many milestones. I’ve had incredible breakthroughs, tough moments, and unforgettable experiences. Through it all, I’ve grown and learned, and I want to share some of these universal, cool, and weird moments that I went through. Hopefully, you’ll find something relatable in them.
New People: The Ones You Didn’t Know You Needed
I met two of my greatest friends this year, and I never knew how much I needed them until now. It all started in September 2023 when we began working together. There was one person I naturally gravitated toward—he was nice, easygoing, and always made great conversation. We started talking casually as coworkers, and I didn’t think much of it at the time. I’ve never had trouble talking to new people, but I had no idea how important he would become in my life.
As time went on, we kept working the same shifts, and our friendship naturally grew. Around the same time, I also got close to another coworker—a girl with a magnetic personality. She was sassy, smart, and had a witty attitude that instantly drew people in. From the moment I met her, I knew she would be one of my closest friends. She had this energy that radiated outwards, making everyone feel her presence.
Our friendships naturally blended together. What started as two separate friendships soon became a trio. Everything truly solidified when my girl friend’s 19th birthday was coming up. Her original plans fell through when her friends had to canceled due to prior commitments and last minutes changes, so I suggested to our guy friend that we take her out and make sure she had a great time. That night, in April 2024, cemented our little trio, and from that point on, we were inseparable. I mean to a point that everybody and work thought it was crazy we would yap at work and then hang out after and yap even more.
We started spending all our free time together. Weekends we had plans no matter what , whether we were going out, partying, or just spending hours talking. We walked the Coquitlam Crunch regularly, took late-night drives, and always found new side quest to go on. While we had other friends who joined us occasionally, we remained the core three. It felt like a movie at times because of how much stuff we would do together it actually blows my mind even still today of how we managed to do it all.
This friendship became one of the most defining aspects of my year. It made me grow as a person, helping me become even more sociable and open to new experiences. I already had great friends, but meeting new people is always a challenge, and they made it effortless. Before meeting them, I had been stuck in a rut for a long time, feeling stagnant. But they pulled me out of it so quickly, and for that, I will always be grateful. I mean they would come over to my house so much everybody in my family just felt like they have known them all of there life. I even brought them to my dads softball games which was one of the highlights of my year.
The right people bring light into your life. They bring back a kind of spark you might not have even realized was missing. On the flip side, the wrong people can drain you. I think everyone has had at least one ex-friend who completely exhausted them, and while it might have been difficult at the time, their absence often makes room for the right people to enter. Like they always say when one door closes another one opens.
Now, I have the sassiest, most fun-loving girl best friend and the most down-to-earth guy best friend. Together, we balance each other out in the best way possible. Even the people we work with have noticed how well we complement each other.
Adjusting to Change
When work slowed down, and we all had to focus on school and other responsibilities, I had to adjust to not seeing them every day. I had gotten so used to our daily hangouts that it felt strange not having them around constantly. It was a challenge, but it also reminded me of the importance of independence.While friendships are amazing and seeing the ones you love frequently is great it’s also important to find comfortability with being by yourself.
Looking back, last year was such a monumental time in my life. No matter what happens in the future, I would never take any of it back. These two have my back, and I have theirs, and that kind of bond is rare. Through them, I experienced things I never would have on my own. They helped me break out of my shell and become more open to the world.
I honestly don’t know where I’d be without them. Even my relationship would not be existent if it weren’t for them because they supported and guided me through that journey as well. The level of encouragement, advice, and pure friendship they gave me was something I will never forget. And also the massive amount of plotting and scheming also came into to play with that one.
This is my love letter and thank-you letter to them. They probably won’t ever see this, and that’s okay because I’ve already expressed my appreciation to them in other ways. But still, I don’t think I can ever say it enough.
To Johnny and Savannah: You are my best friends. I hope everyone finds people like you in their lives. I hope everyone gets to experience the same love, laughter, silliness, and unwavering support that we share.
New people and new experiences shape us in ways we never expect. They can challenge us, bring us joy, and sometimes even turn our lives upside down. But in the end, the right people make everything worth it. And I was lucky enough to find two of the best.