Live life

The story

Live life

I don’t think I’ve ever known a friendship that took longer to establish than the one I have with Alice. We met online sometime in the middle of 2014. There was a strong sense of casualness, and not just on her part. We wrote to each other without ever feeling obligated. There was no pressure and no expectations. Sometimes we would email each other several times a week, and then, just as casually, we would lose contact for a year. Until one of us suddenly felt the need to start writing again.

This spontaneous connection never faded. It only grew more valuable over time. I believe that same sense of independence was present in other areas of her life as well. She was free, felt free, and fought for that freedom. I’ve rarely met someone who, from the very first conversation, gave the impression of knowing exactly what she wanted from life. She had a clear vision of the world and a drive for personal exploration. Unbound, yet always respectful towards other people.

That stood in stark contrast to my own life and to the person I was. While I felt safe and comfortable in my cocoon, I also knew that the time had come to push beyond. I was ready to step out of the womb that I had created for myself, while also realizing I could never be as free and adventurous as Alice. That simply wasn’t me.

And though sometimes her words made it seem like she was distancing herself, they were actually laying the foundation for the deeper connection we would come to share.