I made a friend and had a hangout today😁

I realized I made the mistake of neglecting real life socialization because I spent so much time with the ex. 2 of my friends moved out of town so I had no friends living in my hometown currently. I decided to make it my mission to make a friend. There's this woman who goes to the smoke shop where I buy my weed and I've always been curious about her but too shy to approach her. On friday I ran into her at the shop and I just blurted I have a friendship crush on you,can I get your number? She was so friendly so she gave it to me. Today we bumped into each other again at the smoke shop so I stayed and we smoked some weed and had deep conversations until she had to go back to work. It was soooo awesome 😁. I came home and like a toddler after their first day of preschool and excitedly told my sister I made a friend😂😂😂. I experience social anxiety but the desire to build a social life and make connections and friends was strong enough to make me take the leap and make myself vulnerable and open to rejection or ridicule. I want to have a healthy well rounded life in order to protect my mental health and general wellbeing. Human beings are social creatures and while my family and this place offer social support and social stimulation,it is not sufficient. I need to be part of a broader community which is why I will be seeking to build new friends in my hometown. It was so much fun just being around the company of someone new and we share a lot of experiences. I learned through therapy that the best reaction to anxiety isn't avoidance,it's endurance. Endure the experience so that you can reap the rewards, so that's what I did on friday. I just dived in with no Inhibition and as a result I have a friend.😁