"You know Lisa, I had this amazing idea...why don't we finally meet my dear friend Rosè?"
As she takes a sip from her steaming hot vanilla latte, her eyes widen at the prospect of meeting someone new in town.
Since she arrived here last week, we've been inseparable, exploring different coffee shops as we've been tirelessly trying to get our lives in order - house-hunting online and searching for job alerts on websites.
"Absolutely! You've told me so much about her already. The fact that we're all from the same country makes it even better; just imagine how fun it would be to have an incredible trio!" Lisa's voice beams with electric excitement, energizing us both.
I remind Lisa that despite Rosè's busy schedule due to work commitments, finding a day where all three of us can catch up shouldn't be too hard especially now that neither of us is tied down by any jobs yet.
"Oh also, I suggest this cute and modern apartment, the owner has many other houses too. Maybe we could contact him," I say while showing her some pictures. The apartment may not be big, but it would be enough for two people.
She responds with a sense of suspense in her tone, "It's cute, but first I need to control my finances and make some calculations before making any decisions."
Although it irritates me that she hasn't checked her finances yet, I remind myself that everyone works and lives at their own pace.
While acknowledging this mature reasoning, I get run over by irritation that she didn't look at either me or the pictures while speaking, instead, she was focusing on her phone screen; perhaps there was something important distracting her attention.
I'm extremely excited to introduce these two acquaintances of mine and form a group.
Even though I've only known them for less than a month, I am both confused and thrilled about whether to classify them as my "friends" or just "nice acquaintances".
Despite this uncertainty, I remind myself that there are more pressing issues at hand. Being an adult can be quite demanding - from dealing with immigration documents and appointments, job hunting in foreign countries where you may not speak the language fluently, navigating unfamiliar social settings to managing budgets and roommates.
Nevertheless, it's crucial to establish significant connections with others amidst all the challenges life throws our way. That's why this meet-up between me, Rosè, and Lisa is highly anticipated!
It's now two days later and we agreed on meeting up at exit 9 of the established subway line, and I couldn't help but feel a mix of anticipation and nervousness. Meeting at a specific location ensures that we could easily find each other and avoid any confusion, which eases my nerves slightly.
I've always been the type of person that needs to have everything under control - from perfect timing to precise arrangements.
Even the slightest inconvenience or deviation from the plan can throw me off balance, leaving me feeling uneasy inside.
Although I'm good at camouflaging these types of emotions from other people, internally I boil with irritation and carry a heavy weight on my chest if something doesn't go as planned.
"Where could they be?" I question myself, my mind racing as it tries to analyze this seemingly simple query along the soundtracks of my favorite playlist blaring inside my ears through the long-wired headphones, that fails to calm me down.
It's already 7:10 PM and ten minutes have passed since our agreed-upon time.
My body starts fidgeting restlessly on the spot; irritation spreading like wildfire throughout every inch of me while anxiety tightens its grip around my chest, leaving little room for comfort or ease in any form.
Underneath a mask that hides all expression from others, I struggle with clear social anxieties plaguing every part of me, I feel extremely scared and anxious that people's eyes are constantly judging me. However, upon further reflection and a moment of realization, I understand that this fear is nothing but one of my many paranoia.
"Y/n!"
I hear a very distinctively feminine voice calling my name underneath the pounding beat of the loud music in my earphones. As though the melodious voice comes from an equally effeminate presence, none other than Rosè is rapidly approaching me with urgency.
"Hi Y/n, sorry for being late, I had some problems with my roommates, but I made it here now and am ready to eat!"
"Girls! I'm here too!" A very distinct and unmistakable southern accent abruptly interrupts our conversation as Rosè and I turn around. We immediately notice Lisa making her way toward us from the midst of the crowd.
After what feels like a long wait, we all head to the restaurant together.
As we walk, Rosè fills us in on her roommates' drama while Lisa shares stories about her hometown in the South.
The conversation flows easily between us and at last, we arrive at our destination, greeted by a friendly hostess who leads us to our table.
We settle in and peruse the menu, excited for a much-needed all-you-can-eat meat meal after our extended waiting period.
Overall, although it was frustrating having to wait so long for everyone to gather, I'm grateful for this time with my friends – especially since life can get hectic sometimes and opportunities like these won't come around often enough when we'll all be settled down with our own jobs.
"He was 45 years old?!" Lisa exclaimed in disbelief, as Rosè recounted yet another one of her dating app escapades.
"Yes, and when I finally met him, he looked nothing like the photos he had posted online. I felt disappointed and a little scared too - despite his pure soul." With a shake of her head, she added firmly: "You lose points for lying to me!"
Our table erupted into chuckles and loud laughter.
As I watched my two new acquaintances bond over their shared experiences, I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of joy permeating through every pore in my body.
Initially apprehensive about how well they would get along given their strong personalities and opinions on almost everything we discussed earlier that day; it was heartwarming to see them connect so effortlessly as our conversations delved deeper into more meaningful topics revealing just how much we have in common.
