Episode 8 - Friendships After 30

Why does friendship feel SO different after thirty?! 🍷

In this episode of After the Gin Settles, we’re talking about the friendships that have survived, the ones that have quietly faded away, and the ones we somehow found our way back to years later.

We chat about how life events, partners, kids, family and just… getting older can completely change our friendships. Some friendships become deeper and start to feel like chosen family, while others naturally ebb and flow as we move through different stages of life.

And then there’s making NEW friends in your thirties. Because honestly… how?! 😂 Between work, kids, responsibilities and the fact that nobody seems to just casually hang out anymore, finding your people as an adult can feel surprisingly hard.

We also get into the weird world of social media friendships, reconnecting with old friends, family friends, maintaining friendships when life gets busy, and whether sending someone an Instagram reel occasionally counts as keeping in touch. 👀

Plus, we talk about rediscovering old hobbies in your thirties — because maybe finding yourself again also means finding the people you actually want to spend time with.

In this episode, we explore:
🍷 How friendships change after thirty
🍷 Why maintaining friendships takes actual effort
🍷 The different layers of friendship
🍷 Losing touch and reconnecting with old friends
🍷 Making new friends as an adult
🍷 Friendship as chosen family
🍷 The role of social media in keeping friendships alive
🍷 Family friends and friendships that span generations
🍷 The ebb and flow of friendships through different life stages
🍷 Rediscovering old hobbies — and maybe old versions of ourselves
🍷 And the ongoing struggle of navigating friendship in the age of technology

Because sometimes friendship isn't about talking every day. Sometimes it's knowing that when you finally do reconnect, you can pick up exactly where you left off. ❤️

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Acknowledgment
01:12 Changes in Friendships After Thirty
03:03 Impact of Life Events on Friendships
06:10 Depth and Layers of Friendships
09:35 Maintaining Friendships Through Different Stages of Life
11:15 The Role of Social Media in Friendships
13:40 Challenges in Making Friends After Thirty
20:02 Reconnecting with Old Friends
24:25 Impact of Life Changes on Friendships
26:25 Navigating Evolving Friendships
27:52 Reconnecting with Old Friends
29:12 Maintaining Friendships After School
31:18 Friendship Across Different Life Stages
32:10 The Impact of Family and Family Friends on Friendships
33:34 The Ebb and Flow of Friendships
34:02 Friendship as Chosen Family
35:16 The Concept of Family Friends
36:06 Childhood Friendships and Family Friends
38:31 Maintaining Friendships Through Social Media
40:04 Making Friends in Your Thirties
42:28 Rediscovering Old Hobbies in Your Thirties
44:12 Navigating Modern Technology in Friendships