You never thought leaving home would feel this heavy. Boxes stacked high, a one-way ticket clutched in your hand, and the buzzing anticipation of a new life in a country whose language felt like music and gibberish all at once.

Cassie was already there when you arrived—her eyes lighting up with that wild, impulsive spark you loved, the same one that had somehow convinced you this crazy idea of moving abroad together was possible.

“You made it!” she laughed, throwing her arms around you in a hug that somehow balanced excitement and relief. “I swear, if you hadn’t come, I’d be living off instant noodles and existential dread by now.”

The first few days were chaos. Streets looked nothing like the postcards, the grocery stores were like labyrinths, and every time someone spoke to you, your brain scrambled like eggs. But Cassie… she had this natural ease. She wandered confidently, shrugged at the confusion, laughed at every misstep, and somehow, her laughter made the city feel less intimidating.

One evening, after getting lost for the third time in tiny winding streets, you collapsed on a quiet bench. Cassie sat next to you, pulling out a small bottle of something fizzy she’d found at a corner shop.

“Cheers,” she said, tapping it against yours. “To surviving the city without accidentally becoming homeless.”