By Jessica Goodman
After Kallista moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho from Utah to join her long-distance boyfriend, she found it increasingly difficult to make new friends. She was taking virtual classes to become a teacher and wasn’t meeting anyone her own age. After some research, she found Bumble BFF. “I just wanted to find friends who were close in age to me who liked to chill and have a good time,” she says.
In May 2021, she saw Hannah’s profile and swiped right. Kallista figured that Hannah might be someone she could be friends with: she lived close by, and like Kallista, she had a dog and enjoyed working out. Hannah, who works at a medical spa, had lived in Idaho for a while, but only had a few good friends in the area. She’d had a hard time finding girlfriends who had similar interests and values, and were willing to put in the work to make a solid friendship. She’d joined Bumble BFF looking to make new connections.
Once they matched and chatted for a bit about their shopping habits and pups, Kallista asked if Hannah would want to hang out. Hannah loved that Kallista was straightforward. The two made plans to meet up at a local wine bar and—unbeknownst to the other—both almost cancelled at the last minute. “I just had a facial treatment so my face was looking crazy,” says Hannah. Kallista was thinking about canceling because of life’s usual stressors. “If it’s a weeknight, I want to be in bed by nine,” she says. But both went, hoping for the best.
At the wine bar, it only took a few minutes to realize that they had more in common than they’d expected. Over glasses of wine, they bonded over their love of true crime and their shared passion for outdoor activities like paddleboarding and hiking. “We had very similar views on the world and are on similar life paths,” says Kallista. “We both like living ‘cleaner,’ more natural and active lifestyles, and we both really want to enjoy our twenties before having kids.” During that first encounter, “there was never an awkward moment of silence,” says Kallista. Both left that first meeting feeling excited by the prospect of having a really good girlfriend in Idaho at long last.
Soon, the two started hanging out more and more, going hiking and to concerts, discovering their competitive streaks during game night, going paddle boarding, cooking dinner once a week at one of their homes, and hanging out with Hannah’s friend Hayden, another pal made on Bumble BFF, and Kallista’s boyfriend. “I would just third wheel with them all the time,” says Hannah. “But it didn’t feel like third-wheeling. It was more like a bunch of friends hanging out together.”
A few months into their budding relationship, both Hannah and Kallista realized they’d made a new best friend. “By the fall, I was like, ‘I’ve made a friend for life,’” says Kallista. Hannah agrees. “We started making more and more plans, and eventually we were hanging out 24/7.”
During their low-key hang-time, they cook together (recent triumphs include tacos, fried ravioli, and chili), have movie nights, and play card or board games that can get heated in the best way. “We would play a board game and really be able to go at each other,” says Kallista. “I never was able to find somebody that I could be my competitive self with but I can do that with Hannah.”
But even more than their shared interests, both say they are so grateful to have found a friend who is so genuine with affection and generous with their time.
“In other friendships, I felt like I was the one who always had to reach out to make plans,” says Kallista. “But with Hannah, we’re both really good about asking each other to hang out. She’s not waiting for me to initiate.” Kallista also values how non-judgmental Hannah is. “She’s understanding and gives honest advice. She’ll always be one of the first people I tell something to. That’s something I really cherish with her.” Kallista says that she always feels like Hannah is really listening to her when she talks, and that she’s incredibly supportive. “I could tell her that I wanna be a professional skydiver and she’d be like, ‘definitely. How are we gonna get you there?’”
Since the two grew close, Kallista has moved a little further away from Hannah but they still prioritize their bond and the frequency of get-togethers. Their connection has only grown stronger. “The day I get married, she’ll be one of my bridesmaids,” says Hannah. “I want her there with me through every big event in my life.”