Go Erin!
I also felt the persona of the guides can be deeper than it seems on the surface. Perhaps they aren't deliberately trying to be especially witty, chatty, or quiet. They want to be themselves in the ether.
Somehow this leads me feeling somewhat disconnected to guides. They don't seem to always want to help me in ways that make sense to me. If my own intuition is the closest thing to my guides' voices, then all the intuitive voices in my head may have different personalities backing up their reasonings!
And this would add more difficulty to distinguishing some egoic thoughts and intuitive thoughts.
I can still choose to eat papayas instead of apples and oranges. However, if I consulted my guides before trying, and if they don't tell me that I will get allergic reactions after eating papayas, that'd be very frustrating!
They may want me to actually experience allergy, in this case, so it'd be a life lesson. Although I'd much prefer that they hint that a lesson is awaiting for me.
I had an experience where all of my guides remained completely silent a while ago when I hoped to hear their say. Not even hellos. Absolutely nothing. I perceived that they are hinting "come back to us when you have better questions to ask" and they suddenly appeared to speak to me one week later with much more clarity to answering questions that were practically "better" for me but for no one else's.
Maybe we haven't truly finished concocting our own life plans while being alive and growing. Our guides may be aware of most of our paths before our incarnation, but sometimes they don't accompany you and guide you while walking on some paths, and you really only have yourself to depend on. Personally, I think it felt lonely this way, but I learned those life lessons well.