I love the idea of using it, but between getting married, looking for better jobs, and maintaining friendships, I haven’t found the time to study for the amateur radio exam, which appears to be considerable.

GMRS is $35 and a license so that I can use a radio with my family, husband, and licensed friends while skiing or mountain biking, making localized communication easy, while the cert process was mostly friction free (looking at you, ancient FCC website and the guides needed to figure out licensing- something less dedicated people forgo, hint hint). The friction for getting ham licensed makes it difficult for young people who don’t have much time for additional hobbies.

I do hope it’s around when I’m older and (hopefully) have more free time!