now that we're here, we may as well go too far.

What happens when you’re at the start of your 20’s and you are suddenly forced to at stay home with the wrong people?

This is a series about the search for one’s own identity whilst growing up and the importance and meaning of friendship inspired by the experiences in my shared flat in the UK during the 2020 and 2021 lockdown.

In September 2020 I moved into a shared flat with strangers in Leeds in the North of England. What was initially a means to an end became a sanctuary for those who missed parties, raves and excessive drug taking.

My shy best friend eventually fell in love with my flat mate, who turned out to be involved and not entirely legal activities. Just as her surrounding, she changed and found comfort in the consumption of drugs to escape boredom, insecurity, and the worries about the future, like many other young adults during lockdown. Our long and earnest friendship turned into a half-hearted good morning in the hallway on the way to the toilet. After witnessing a criminal incident up-close we all moved away from each other, and lost contact as well as our deep friendship, which is now affected by depression, distress but nevertheless infinite empathy, a feeling often familiar to those experiencing isolation in their early 20s. This series represents my generations emotional journey during the Covid-19 pandemic in western Europe.