When strangers become chosen family: “We didn’t just share a house - we made a home together”
Anastasija, Miquel, Fleur and Mireia, were brought together through SpareRoom when they were looking for a new place to live during their time at university. The group lived in a houseshare for 4 years in North London, and instantly became best friends. Recently, they moved out to follow their careers - relocating to different parts of the country, and even overseas. They spoke with us to reminisce on their time as housemates, why they miss living together, and why that time in their lives felt so special…
Anastasija
“I miss the feeling of having a home in such a big city like London, rather than just sharing a house. The feeling of “home” definitely came from our friendship, our willingness to be there for each other, and making sure everyone was safe and well. We’re all creatives, so knowing that there were three other people in the house who understood your struggles and could help you navigate the creative industries was absolutely amazing.
We had a tradition of organising a pre-Christmas evening together every December, just before everyone would go back home to celebrate with their families. One year, it snowed in London on that exact evening - it felt so warm, cozy, and special.”
Miquel
“I really miss our spontaneous catch-ups in the kitchen, and the nights when we would just talk and talk for hours while time flew by. It was always so hard to go to sleep because we simply had too much to say. We would sit there saying, “Oh my God, it’s so late, we really need to go to bed” and someone would add another thing to the conversation, and suddenly, another hour had passed.
My most treasured memory is our ‘goodbye barbecue’. We had quite a few barbecues in our garden over the years, but that one felt different. The highlight of the day was when Anastasija, who’s an amazing dancer, started teaching us a dance challenge. It was so funny, joyful and freeing - I find moments like that are actually quite hard to come by. The whole day was very bittersweet because we all knew it was probably the last time we’d celebrate together like that, but for that reason, it felt so special to me.”
Fleur
“The best thing about living with your best friends is always being a knock away from company. It’s hard to feel lonely when you’re surrounded by that kind of support system.
I have so many favourite memories of living together, but one that stands out is when we went on a group trip to IKEA. It was our second year living together and we wanted to upgrade our house a bit. So naturally, we went to get Swedish meatballs and roamed around the store.”
Mireia
“My favourite memories of living together are the birthday celebrations we had. Our care for each other and family dynamic would shine most when we’d show up for special occasions. Every birthday celebrated was a demonstration of appreciation and affection - a true testament to the home we built together.
What I miss most about living together is the feeling of living with a chosen family. A group of total strangers who built a home together.”
Despite living in different countries and leading busy lives, the group says they make time to see each other whenever they can. They keep in touch largely via the phone, noting that it’s not quite as easy or fulfilling as their daily catch-ups in the kitchen. They look back fondly on that time and miss living together.