Member-only story
This Is Us
Four Years Ago, I Left My Friends Behind. Isolation Is Bringing Us Back Together.
Finally, we live in the same city again — the city of singularity and loneliness and only speaking on Skype
A luridly orange game show host in a sparkling gunmetal-gray blazer is spinning a wheel. We stand, shoulder to shoulder, our fingers gently touching, unable to look at each other and equally unable to tear our gaze from the white imprints of sunglasses around the host’s eyes. “You chose to stay in London.” A bead of sweat peaks at his temple for a moment and then dribbles quickly down the collar of his lime-green shirt. The audience holds its breath. The cymbals splutter gently, building tension. The arrow quivers tantalizingly between two wedges of the wheel and finally stops: “But I’m afraid to say, you will be leaving! So off you go! Give it up for Ellie and Ryan everyone!” The audience dutifully erupts. “They gave it 10 years but they’ve finally been priced out! Join us next week when we — ”
In 2008, I moved to London with a carful of my belongings to go to fashion school (the most adventurous thing I thought I could possibly do). The previous year had been incredibly lonely. I needed to find people who wanted to spend time with me, but I was deeply conscious…
