Welcome to Easy, Breezi.

Your friend who sends you a weekly update on what she's working on, reading through, and thinking about – in a list.

Growing up, I feel like we took our friendships for granted

But then we become adults, and realize navigating friendships isn't as easy anymore

• Everyone becomes more busy: With all the work demands, family commitments, various adult responsibilities – getting a drink with a friend seems like the least of your worries and the first to get cut off the list

• We go through life transitions at different times: My friends and I are turning 25 this year. As I'm entering my mid-twenties, I realize I have friends who are still living at home, friends who are getting engaged, friends who are solo travelling the world – and everything in between. Nothing is routine and it gets harder and harder to relate to each other.

• There can be unavoidable distance: Our dreams take us to different places. I always used to joke with my friends that when we grow up, we all have to buy property in a cul-de-sac so we can be forever neighbors. I'm not joking anymore.

• Technology takes away from meaningful connections: The people you send the majority of your snaps to are immediately categorized as your ‘best friends’ on Snapchat. The green star on Instagram signifies that you’ve made it into the inner circle of ‘close friends’. But if you take away all of these arbitrary events, who really qualifies as a real friend?

The typical priority list of someone in their 20's looks like the following:

1. Career Advancement

2. Personal Development

3. Romantic Relationships

4. Improving Health

5. Family Responsibilities

6. Friendships ... often end up last on the list

The common types of people you’ll meet in your 20's

• "I can't, I have work": These are the friends that did eight internships during college when they only required four. They're the ones that take time updating their LinkedIn headers and post BeReals violating some sort of NDA because they're always on their laptops. They believe that your twenties is the best time to grind, build and accumulate wealth for the future.

• "I can't, I'm travelling": These are the friends that planned 16-month long grad trips before senior year even started. It can't be a suitcase or carry-on luggage, it has to be a backpack. If I had to guess, they're probably in Bali or Singapore. They believe that your twenties is the best time to be a bit selfish, explore the world and find a deeper sense of purpose.

• "I can't, I already have plans": These are the friends that have friendship as priority #1 on their list. Super social butterflies that you need to reach out 14 business days ahead to try and snag time on their calendar. Odds are, they're probably a TikToker. They believe that your twenties is the best time for connection, gatherings and meeting new people.

• "I can't, I'm going on a date": These are the friends who have been in serious, long term relationships or friends who are exploring dating. Either way, love is in the air for them. They're either getting close to being engaged or going on their fifth date of the week, on Wednesday. They believe that your twenties is the best time to find "the one".

Why the obsession with friendships this week Lillie?

• Last week, I went to dinner with a group of my friends from college

• We sat around the table and caught up on what went on in each of our lives over the past couple of weeks

• But despite physically surrounded by my friends who I love so much (and I know love me so much too)

• I felt this intense feeling of loneliness

• It was as if I was in a movie scene, you know those ones where everything around you moves in slow motion, everyone is laughing and deep in their conversations

• And you're just sitting there

• It just felt like I could not relate to anyone about anything

• Yeah, being alone sucks

• But what sucks even more is feeling lonely,

• Even when you're surrounded by people

• That's what got me thinking about friendships, what they mean to us and the impact they have on our lives

What makes a friendship great? Here are 3 questions I ask myself to determine that:

❤️‍🩹 Who do you call when you're sick or scared?

I look for friendships with deep trust and sense of reliability, where each person knows they can count on the other for support and understanding in good times and bad.

👯‍♂️ Who do you have shared experiences with?

When we share experiences with others, we create memories together that can be revisited and reminisced about, even years later. Our memories with our friends are mostly made up of moments in time, less so facts and characteristics.

🪩 Who can you be your most truest self with?

Regardless of time or place, our friendships need unconditional love: where each person knows that they are valued and loved for who they are, without judgment or conditions.

But not all friendships are the same, you can (and should) have many types of friends

Here's how I categorize the various friends in my life:

• Your cheerleader (the supportive one)

• Your soulmate (the instant connection)

• Your anchor (the childhood best friend)

• Your halo (the inspiring friend)

• Your partner in crime (the one that's currently in the same phase of life as you)

How technology has changed our friendships: The Eras Tour

*I thought this was a great opportunity for me to let you guys all know I am a ride-or-die Swiftie who is living her best life on #SwiftTok

• The Offline-Offline Friendships Era: this is the era in which my parents grew up in, where you met your friends in real life and maintained those friendships, mostly, in real life and in person

• The Offline-Online Friendships Era: this is the era I grew up in, where you met your friends in real life but maintained those friendships, mostly, online and through social media

• The Online-Online Friendships Era: this is the era kids today are growing up in, where you met your friends through online communities and maintained those friendships by hanging out in various digital worlds on the internet

• The Online-Offline (...online?) Friendships Era: this is the era I envision for the world, where you met your friends through online communities but found opportunities to connect in person and in real life, while still leveraging the internet to maintain and grow these relationships over time

My 3 tips on strengthening your friendships this week

1. Leave a voice note instead of texting

2. Check to see if anyone has an upcoming birthday

3. Try doing a home-cooked meal instead of going out to dinner next time

Things I searched up on Chat-GPT this week

Why AI kind of freaks me out

• I'm worried my brain's going to atrophy

• And that I won't know what I don't know

• We'll start to lose our unique thoughts and personalities

• The general population will be bland

• I'll think I know someone based on our conversation

• But actually I'm just talking to Chat GPT (e.g. are people even writing their own Hinge prompts!?!?!)

Here’s what’s on my shopping list for Spring

• This new foundation from Saie Beauty

• This Clean Paws no rinse dog paw cleaner from Dandylion

• Anything from Nordstrom's liquidation sale in Canada

Things I read/ listened to/ consumed this week that you might like

• Opportunities in AI x Travel from a16z

• Asymmetric Risk vs Reward from my friend Arjun (aka Mr. LLC)

• What Taylor Swift Can Teach Us About Business by Digital Native

• A podcast interview with Elad Gil on The Logan Bartlett Show

• My favorite Tswift album, Speak Now

In case no one told you

What to look forward to in the next newsletter

• More exciting Breezi updates!

If you found anything in this newsletter helpful, I'd love to connect on Twitter – tweet me a screenshot of your favorite part and let's chat 👋

I'll be back next week with more lists!