Since getting my ham radio license, I've made a total of 3 contacts (I've been busy with work and preparing for my move in November). I've spoken with Rob (M0JEO) in the UK, Terry (JA1XTN) in Japan, and Joe (KI5UKE) up in North Texas. Rob is an Elmer on the Ham Radio Crash Course (HRCC) Discord, and Joe is one of my buddies I love chatting with. Terry was a complete surprise, as I just hit the CQ button on my EchoLink app and it searched repeaters until it found someone.
It's not mandatory you send out contact cards (QSL cards) once you've made contact with someone, but a lot of ham radio operators do because part of the fun is collecting cards from all over the world. I'll be sending out my QSL cards to Rob, Terry, and Joe this weekend.