Lifestyle
6 Surprising Ways My Friendships Have Changed In My 20s For The Better

Guille Faingold, Stocksy

I wholeheartedly believe that the friendships I have are the most important things to me. A true friend can turn into family, and that's when they become the forever type. As the years pass by, I've noticed that there are surprising ways my friendships have changed in my 20s for the better. It's been the same crew since day one, but we've evolved into adults navigating our 20s together.

Adulting definitely has its impact — because the struggle can be real at times — but there's so much more to it than that. It's the perfect combination of growing up, plus time spent making new memories together, which equals a thriving friendship that experiences change. And these changes aren't bad, either.

If there was a 10-year challenge for my squad, you'd notice these six differences between where we started and where we are now. I love my crew so much, and can't wait to see what our 30s, 40s, 50s, and so on have in store for us. You may be going through something very similar with your own crew, and notice these things as well. Just know that your crew may go through some changes, but they'll make your bond stronger than ever.

01
We Keep In Touch Through Text
Valua Vitaly/Fotolia

Back in the day, I was #blessed to be able to see my best friends all the time at school. I didn't need to keep in contact with them constantly via text, because they were always right there.

Now that I live long-distance from some of my best friends, we text and have FaceTime dates to catch up. It's definitely more of an effort, but I love being connected 24/7, and know they'll pick up the phone whenever I need them.

02
I've Locked Down My Forever Crew
Artem Varnitsin/Fotolia

I used to believe that I needed a million friends. I blame social media for my dire need to rack up the friend numbers, but as I get further into my 20s, I realize it's more about quality than quantity. I don't need thousands of friends — just a small forever crew of people who are my ride or dies.

03
They've Become My Go-To Travel Companions
ikostudio/Fotolia

I've been bitten by the travel bug in my 20s. I guess you could say I'm filled with all the wanderlust in the world, and feel the need to go on spontaneous adventures.

Since I'm constantly wondering where to go to next, my friends have now become my best travel companions. We want to explore the globe together, and our bucket lists keep getting longer.

04
We Spend More Time Hanging In Than Going Out
dglimages/Fotolia

It used to be all about going out and doing something with my friends, but now that I'm in my late 20s, we don't need a packed agenda for our hangs. We literally love having a girls' night in, complete with gossip, a little bit of rosé, and some pizza. I mean, sometimes, we're just too exhausted to go to the club after a long work week, and would rather chill and watch Netflix.

05
We Schedule Our Hangouts Well In Advance
YakobchukOlena/Fotolia

Since we all have such busy schedules trying to balance work life and friends, we have to schedule our hangs in advance. It's definitely made me more organized. Of course, I'm always down for a spur-of-the-moment friend hang, but I also enjoy putting it on the cal as something to look forward to.

06
They've Become My Go-To People To Talk To About Everything
YakobchukOlena/Fotolia

Your 20s will likely have its ups and downs, which is why it's amazing having great friends to talk to. I can celebrate with them when I get a big win or go on a great date, and at the same time, I feel comfortable venting to them when I'm having a hard day or just need a shoulder to cry on. I value our talks more than anything.