Conversations with Friends

When I asked Jesse why he thought to include both Sam and Isaiah in this episode (I've only ever recorded conversations between two people), he said, "It feels like a complete puzzle when we're all together." In this very special fr-odcast (frat podcast?), not one, not two, but THREE friends who met in a fraternity share the story of their friendship and their joint creative vent...

An extra special episode of Conversations with Friends featuring my dear amazing friend Wendy and also me, your host. I loooooved having this conversation with Wendy because I always love talking to Wendy, and visiting her in California this weekend was a reminder of how precious our friendship has been to me over the years :) We are speaking at top speed so hold onto your hats. If I ever win the...

"Hailey was so down to clown," Libbie said when I asked what drew them together. Hailey and Libbie met in middle school and bonded over their love of getting into trouble. "It's not like we were skipping class," she continued, and Hailey interjected—"We were. We were. That's a lie!" In a previous episode of Conversations with Friends, Salman remarked that all...

"There have never been two friends more ready to do this," Vennela said (tragically, before we started recording). I am inclined to agree—Ash and Vennela met while studying abroad in Florence and instantly recognized each others' power. In this conversation, they explain that they were drawn to one another because of their respective auras: Ash is blue, and Vennela is orange. Since t...

EPISODE 18!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 WE ARE BACK!!!!! with Emily and Isabella <3 In this conversation, Emily and Isabella talk about the self-sacrifice that can be necessary in some friendships—but not in one like theirs. Emily and Isabella just want to help each other answer the question, "Where do you feel the most you?" A beautiful gift to give to a friend and one I was very luck...

EPISODE 17!!!! Featuring Shreya and Annie <3 This is a friendship marked by Textbook (Ashvini's Textbook^TM) kanipshon (a word I made up): a shared sense of being overcome with delight. To me, that is the hallmark of a friendship spark, and I feel truly blessed to have witnessed it in this conversation <3 Shreya and Annie share their many kanipshons, from finding out they were taking the...

EPISODE 16 <3 featuring one of the most iconic friendships of all time, Zoe’ and Nandini <3 It was truly an honor to talk to Zoe’ and Nandini for this episode and it actually felt impossible to capture the greatness of their friendship through this or any medium. Another random-roommates-turned-besties (turned long-distance besties!!!) arc, they make the trust and and commitment at the core...

EPISODE 15 <3 thank you thank you thank you to Jess and Jena, randomly-assigned roommates turned best friends who graced me with the story of their beautiful friendship (and vital information about the Poop Map app). In this episode, you’ll hear Jess and Jena talk about the slow burn of their friendship, which started with twerking at the Bed Bath & Beyond rave. They describe how living tog...

Welcome to Conversations with Friends, Special Edition: MOM <3 I’m incredibly grateful to have my mom on the podcast with one of her closest friends, Usha Auntie. I was really excited to have this conversation because I was curious about how friendships are formed and sustained in later adulthood and what it means to have your friends there with you through life’s most challenging moments. This...

Happy new year

AT LONG LAST WELCOME BACK <3 <3 <3 Back And Better Than Ever. This begins season 2 of Conversations with Friends <3 In this episode, I got to talk to Salman and Darren about their friendship, which has spanned decades and continents. Their friendship also exemplifies one of my favorite not-so-conspiracy theories—that really great friendships often come down to a decision to show each o...

Episode 11 <3 I really really really love this one. In this conversation, I got to talk to Kiran and Nivedina about their unique correspondence-based friendship: a friendship forged by writing letters to each other for the past six years. I loved talking about the faith that is required for a friendship like this: faith in the USPS, faith that the other person will respond, and faith that a fri...

IT’S EPISODE TEN <3 <3 <3 I can’t think of a better way to ring in the tenth installment of Conversations with Friends than this conversation with Anushkaa and Darshana. It’s an episode about taking risks and second chances; setbacks and perseverance; true friendship love <3 Anushkaa and Darshana value friendship so strongly, and I so admire the way that they have worked to sustain the...

IT'S EPISODE 9!!!!!! Welcome back <3 In this episode, I got to talk to Clare and ~Paris~ Julia, not to be confused with ~New York~ Julia from prior eps. Clare is one of my best friends, but this was actually my first time (virtually) meeting Julia and it reiterated to me that the friend of a friend is your friend <3 Clare and Julia are self-proclaimed chatters and it shows—it was such a...

EPISODE 8!!!!! I loved talking to Shiv and Amber for this episode <3 I knew I wanted to have them on after witnessing one too many ~kanipshons~ (listen to previous episodes if you don't know what I'm talking about lol): moments where I saw a magical connection between them, where they seemed so in sync and part of the same brain. Shiv and Amber also dropped some serious ~friendship scho...

It's episode 7!!!!! I am truly so grateful that I got to have this conversation with Justine and Odmaa <3 In this episode, we talk about the romance at the heart of a good friendship; the love that comes from undeniable compatibility. It was such a privilege to hear Justine and Odmaa talk about the love they have for each other, and I hope you enjoy listening <3 LINKS/INFO: UCHICAGO ALUM...

WE ARE BACK WITH EPISODE 6!!! Back.....and better than ever. I'm so excited that I got to interview two of my best friends, Lexi and Julia, for this episode. Lexi, Julia, and I were all in the same house/dorm in college, and this episode was a lovely trip down memory lane <3 One of the most special things about Lexi and Julia's friendship is how different they are as people. I loved hea...

WELCOME TO EPISODE 5!!!! I loved talking to Renee and Sarah for this episode <3 In this conversation, Renee and Sarah talk about how they met and what their friendship means to them. I think that we are in constant conversation with our loved ones, even when they're not there. The internal dialogue of friendship is so powerful: the way we care what our friends think, the way we get excited...

Welcome to episode FOUR of Conversations with Friends! Two friendship scholars that I really admire, Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, define "Big Friendship" as "a strong, significant bond that transcends life phases, geographical locations, and emotional shifts." They argue that friendships can be some of the most transformative and influential relationships on our lives, equal...

Welcome back for episode THREE of Conversations with Friends! This week, I had the pleasure of talking with Sid and Amit about their friendship, which began almost two decades ago. In this episode, Sid and Amit provide multiple musical interludes, debate the merits of a "spark," and genuinely gas each other up for the entire hour. It was a joy to hear them talk about what friendship mean...

EPISODE 2! Holy cow! In this episode, you'll hear Anne and Madison talk about their friendship. I think all friendships begin with a sort of magic spark. There's a word I use (made up) to describe this spark: "kanipshon" (how I thought "conniption" was spelled......and what I thought "conniption" meant........). "Kanipshon" is the almost supernatural...

Welcome to episode 1 of Conversations with Friends! In this episode, you'll hear Anna and Julia talk about their friendship, which began in an unlikely place—the womb. Or is that the most likely? You decide. Thank you Anna and Julia for sharing your story with me <3 Do you and a friend want to be interviewed on Conversations with Friends? Shoot me (Ashvini) an email at withfriendspod13@gmai...

Welcome to Conversations with Friends, a podcast where Ashvini interviews friends about their friendship! First episode coming on Wednesday March 6 :) LINKS/PLACES TO DONATE: Call your reps to demand ceasefire: https://act.uscpr.org/a/callforgaza Palestinian Youth Movement: https://www.instagram.com/palestinianyouthmovement/ Within Our Lifetime: https://wolpalestine.com/ Directory of GoFundMes to...