Shooting with (Patreon)

Aleksander Stojanov ( https://www.instagram.com/aleksanderstojanov )

How did I forget how nice it feels to meet new people — or to see old friends again.

Since we moved to Mexico, all my trips to Europe have turned into doctor visits, catching up with my closest friends, a bit of shopping and photo shoots. My schedule is always so packed that I leave no space for spontaneity, for little coincidences — and, of course, for lightness.

And then, suddenly, it happened. Two random meetings in one day. That morning I had already seen two doctors on opposite sides of the city — saying I was tired would be an understatement. But I had already promised to come, so I went — half alive.

And afterwards… I felt so much joy. So much lightness, soft awkwardness, positive energy. I hadn’t felt that in a long time. That’s what I’d been missing — connections not limited to the closest circle.

For a long time I believed that friends should either be the best or not exist at all. I never paid much attention to the “random” people in my life — the ones who don’t know my parents, don’t know my zodiac sign, or that sometimes I like walking around with unshaved armpits. I used to have this obsessive idea that closeness must mean total openness. But because of my work — the shoots, the travels — I often crossed paths with these “accidental” people.

And now, when that happens so rarely, I finally realized how much I’ve missed them. Missed that sense of newness, the gentle nervousness of not knowing someone yet, the tiny, unexpected connections that don’t have to be deep to make you feel alive.