Finding common interests

I began by asking open-ended questions about their hobbies and opinions. This approach not only showed that I cared about their interests but also helped me uncover similarities we might share. I learned that it's not always about having the exact same interests; sometimes, it's about understanding the values behind why they care about something and seeing how those align with my own.

To my surprise, I discovered that we had more in common than I initially thought. We were both in the same grade, dealing with similar stressful classes, and we even shared the experience of having annoying family members who didn't respect our privacy. These basic commonalities became a foundation for our growing connection.