You have no idea the role a person might play in your life when you first meet them. Friendships can arise out of the most unexpected places, but they often follow similar paths. Here are the ten phases of making new friends:
1) The awkward introductions
This is the phase when you meet someone and exchange majors, talk about hobbies, and form a first impression about each other. They say first impressions are really important, but I have a lot of great friendships that started out with awful first impressions.
2) Small talk
This is the phase when you exchange words about the weather, mutual friends, and whatever subject you have in common. Whether it's a class you have in common or football, you'll find it difficult to talk about anything other than these shared interests.
3) Can we be more than acquaintances?
This is the phase when you evaluate if this person will ever really become your friend. You judge if you have enough in common with the acquaintance, if you have compatible senses of humor, and if your relationship has a future. You gauge whether they can handle your sarcasm and your love of palindromes.
4) Are we considered friends?
This is that awkward phase when you don't really know if someone you have been hanging out with is your friend or not. You don't really know how to refer to them and that doesn't seem like something you can ask!
5) Would it be weird to hang out alone?
This is the phase after you determine you are friends when you wonder if hanging out one on one would be awkward. You're used to hanging out in group settings, so you have to determine if you're able to spend time alone together.
6) Is it weird to open your fridge without asking?
This is the phase when you start exploring the boundaries of your relationship. Can you enter their house without knocking? Can you open the fridge and grab a soda without permission?
7) Do I really know you?
By now you have a level of comfort with your friend. You've established boundaries and are able to hangout in any setting. You feel like you know them like the back of your hand now, but in this phase, they'll routinely do things that really throw you off. They'll act way out of character and make you wonder if you've actually figured them out.
8) Can I trust you?
This is when you evaluate whether or not you can trust your friend. You're still evaluating what you can tell them and if they'll catch you when you fall. This isn't a phase you can bypass.
9) I'll always have your back
This is when you know, no matter how far you drift apart, that you'll always be there for each other. This is when you know that regardless of distance or difficult situations, you've got each other's backs.
10) Friends for life
This is the phase where you both know that your friendship won't come to an end. You make each other a priority and know you cannot live without that friend there for the ups and downs. They're family. Some friends come and go, some relationships come and go, but this is the friend that is never going to leave your side.
