Blood Benchy Boat.
Chefdano3
joined 2 years ago
If it helps at all, I didn't spend my younger years drinking, and I'm still considered friends with most of the people I made friends with in my 20's. However, I almost never see and/or talk them anymore, just because life gets busy, and it becomes harder to maintain contact. It's still hard for me to find new friends and people to hang out with. I believe that particular struggle is a pretty shared experience regardless of what our younger selves did. It's entirely possible that even if you didn't spend your younger days drinking, that "friend circle" would be just as absent as it is now.
I think you're doing great, and the advice of going to the gym and finding a hobby is great advice for yourself too, that's how I met the friends I have now. it's a great way to find people who are busy with life, but have made time in their life for their hobby, and you can share that time with them, and badda bing badda boom, friendship.
I think there are 2 important things here to remember. 1: happiness is not measured by what other people think about you, but by what you think of you. If you like this new change, then that's awesome. Enjoy liking the new look you found, and don't let other people's dislike of it discourage you from enjoying it.
2: Major change is just the accumulation of smaller incremental changes. I wouldn't worry so much about what you will look like at the end, but focus on the little changes you make to find the ones you like, and ones you don't like. Eventually you'll land on what you are looking for and be able to look back and see the major change for what it is, but you're just starting your discovery now, no need to rush to the end.
and fwiw... I don't think you're ugly. You're def a cutie.