Take off the layers slowly over time, like

each conversation that makes you feel more comfortable, youll take off another layer rate. And i think also, the cool thing about this, like, say, this is so scattered, but i think like a cool thing about this too, is that as time passes, you're learning more about yourself. So like your going through a self discovery phase, especially in your mid twenties, mid tilate twenties, i feel like that when you have enough data points from your past to kind of recognize, are my thought patterns or, why do i feel this way every time this happens? And the more you learn about yourself, the more you're able to show up in your friendships as yourself, which definitely helps with the building of connection and or feeling seen and accepted and loved and heard. I

feel like everything you just said, and how you were able to feel farmore connected to me on yor road trip, that was the year that i looked within and peeled back so many layers and asked my eslick when i started asking myself all those questions. So it really is, once you put in the work to sit with yourself and ask yourself questions, you're able to then share these findings with people dyou. And that's when you also realize, ok, i'm not alone. I'm not crazy. Feelings are ok. Feelings are normal. My feelings are valid. Feelings are feelings that everyone goes through. Yes, feelings, feelings. And it's very reassuring to know that. Like, the biggest thing i would say, i struggled with in college was that i felt like i had to shoulder everything on my own. And i think even till this day, it's a part of that is still in my diana. But i think over atime, i've definitely gone a lot better at letting people into my life, sharing my pains, sharing my struggles. I didn't before, because i wanted to seem perfect. I wanted to be a cool girl. Nothing faced her, nothing bothered her. So cool, common and bothered. But like, literally, everything bothered me, literally every thing. But as i can't, i'm just going to pretend.