Perhaps a bit too hopeful. We can't even understand dolphins, gosh, even human culture has artefacts that are a mystery to decipher. We'd be lucky to even recognise them as a living entity. I don't know, maybe I'm just too cynical, but I think we're in a deep communicational well, even if others exist, we can never reach them.

As for other life forms, I'm sure we'll find something relatively soon. Maybe not "in person," but I'm very optimistic about the atmospheric signatures James Webb ST can find. Let's just hope for the best.