so i passed my technician exam last thursday and my callsign showed up in the ULS database like two days later which honestly surprised me i thought it would take longer. anyway i borrowed my buddys baofeng uv-5r to get started and i figured out how to program the local 2m repeater and just keyed up and said my callsign and that i was a new ham and honestly wasnt sure anyone would respond but this older guy came back to me right away and we talked for like 10 minutes about nothing really, just the weather and what got me interested in radio. it was kind of a big deal for me even though its probably the most basic thing you can do. just wanted to share i guess, feels good to finally be on the air after studying for like two months

congrats on the ticket man, that first QSO feeling doesnt really go away even after years of doing this. the repeater guys are usually pretty welcoming to new hams, at least the good ones are. once you get comfortable on 2m you should try to get on HF if you can, thats where things get really interesting. dont let the baofeng haters get to you either, its fine for getting started

welcome to the hobby. I remember my first time keying up on a repeater, hands were literally shaking a little lol. you'll get your general class and then HF opens up and thats a whole different world. whats your callsign?