If you think about it, making friends as a kid can be pretty easy. The big world of school allows for a cast of characters bound to become friends you bond with, sometimes for years. But what about once we're suddenly grown up & we find ourselves clueless on the inner workings of making new friendships? What then? I can't say I have loads of different friend groups now, but I've definitely gotten out of my comfort zone and expanded. Here's what I've learned so far: Putting yourself out there is scary. Scary & weird. Not everyone is everyone's cup of tea and you won't mesh with every single person you meet. But you'll find that by opening yourself up to new experiences you're enriching yourself & opening yourself up for new relationships. Real life isn't like social media. You might be doing a 'duh, Kaeleen,' but for some people this is a radical concept. Real life is real life. We can't hide behind perfectly pretty instagram filters, so why try? Be 100% real life you when meeting new people & the outcome will almost always be better.
You need to actually be social in order to have a social life. If you're like me & would rather give up coffee for the entire week than set foot in a club or bar, it's okay. Those aren't the only places to meet people. In fact, if you think about your hobbies & the things you're passionate about, there's about a 97% chance there's a local club for it. Google (or search meetup.com), make a plan, and SOCIALIZE! (& for all my fellow introverts/ anxious people who are going ??????, here's a good article to help you. It's geared toward networking but can still be implemented for any social sitch) For me, I've found my church is also a great opportunity. I'm not telling you to go to church, but if you do already, utilize it! When you find your gang, you'll know it. It'll come naturally. You'll laugh more & love more, and you'll care less about what others think of you. It's like pretty much everything else in life; when you know you'll know! xo, kae

The one with all the Friends Thanksgiving episodes

The best things about Thanksgiving? Food, football, and the Thanksgiving episodes of Friends, of course. So I've a created a comprehensive, in-depth look at each episode and ranked them accordingly, just for you.

You like how I sounded all technical? 

10// The One With Rachel's Other Sister, season nine: If I had it my way, none of the episodes would be ranked last, but that would be confusing. In season nine's episode, Rachel's other sister Amy comes to visit and wants to take care of Emma if Ross and Rachel die. Also, Chandler breaks Monica's plates. Yikes.  Perfectly quotable moments in this one, although it's not on my top list.

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9// The One With the Rumor, season eight: AKA The One With Brad Pitt, whose character Will comes to Thanksgiving dinner, and it's revealed that he was in an "I Hate Rachel Green" club with Ross in high school. My personal favorite quote from this one is "Here come the meat sweats."

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8// The One With Chandler In a Box, season four: This is the one after Chandler kisses Joey's girlfriend Kathy, and the only way Joey will forgive him is by spending Thanksgiving dinner in a box. Memorable quote: "Airhole! Airhole!"

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7// The One With the List, season two: Season two is the only one without an actual Thanksgiving episode, and I did some digging for reasons why but I couldn't find a definitive one. There are mentions of the holiday, however, as Monica makes "mockolate" to have at dinner. Extra points for all the Ross and Rachel fluff.

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6// The One With the Late Thanksgiving, season ten: Phoebe enters Emma into a baby beauty pageant and she and Rachel end up being late for dinner. Actually, everyone ends up being late except for Monica and Chandler, who {like always} are hosting, and they feel unappreciated and decide to lock everyone out. This is the last Thanksgiving episode ever which gets lots of sentimental points. 

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5// The One Where Chandler Doesn't Like Dogs, season seven: This season is one of my favorites, so extra points for that. When Phoebe's babysitting a neighbor's dog and tries to bring him to dinner, it's revealed that Chandler hates dogs. The gang also plays "Chandler's Dumb States Game," which I would love to play one of these days, thank you very much. Favorite quote? "It's moo."

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4// The One Where Underdog Gets Away, season one: Ah, the one where it all began. Everyone's Thanksgiving plans are ruined, and they all end up at Monica's. Also, the Underdog float gets away at the parade. Obviously. This one really sets the tone for the rest of the Thanksgiving episodes. Also, "Potatoes are ruined, potatoes are ruined, potatoes are ruined."

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3// The One With the Thanksgiving Flashbacks, season five: This one is full of Thanksgivings past, including Monica trying to fake seduce Chandler back when he was in college. Every flashback is great. My favorite quote is definitely "There's a toe in my kitchen."

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2// The One Where Ross Got High, season six: This one is full of secrets being revealed and gross desserts. And every minute of it is hilarious. "Hurricane Gloria didn't break the porch swing, Monica did!"

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 1// The One With the Football, season three: By far my favorite Thanksgiving episode of the Thanksgiving episodes. Maybe it's because it's centered around football, I'm not really sure. What I do know is it's twenty two minutes of pure genius. Rachel goes long, Monica and Ross vie for the Gellar Cup, and the girls wonder if there's a league for football. Basically, it's all classic Friends shenanigans that deserves to be re-watched year after year. 

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Happy almost Thanksgiving!