To the gang,

Lately, I’ve been thinking about our time on Hilokal more than I expected to. And if you’re reading this, maybe it’s because you’ve felt that same way too.

We’ve all gone back to our “real” lives now. The tables are mostly empty, the app doesn’t feel the same, and the familiar notifications no longer light up our screens. But I couldn’t let all that silence pass without saying thank you.

When the pandemic hit and the world suddenly felt small and lonely, those tables became my entire world. We joined to practice languages, but somehow we ended up practicing how to survive a really hard chapter together. Those long nights, sometimes studying, but mostly just talking, laughing, venting, and keeping each other company when there was nowhere else to be meant more to me than I can properly explain. They kept me going.

It still amazes me how people I never met in person became such a big part of my everyday life. You weren’t just voices or avatars on a screen. You were my routine, my comfort, my sense of belonging when everything else felt uncertain. That connection was real, and it mattered.

I’m genuinely happy to see everyone moving forward now, building their lives, chasing the things we used to talk about while the world was paused. That’s what we were waiting for back then, after all, for life to start again. Still, a part of me misses those nights and the people who made them special. I’ll always carry the memory of those voices that made the lockdowns feel less heavy.

Even if we never find ourselves at the same table again, I’m deeply grateful for the time we shared. I hope you’re doing well, wherever you are. I’m quietly cheering for you.

Take care, always.
Harry