By some twist of fate, my internet friend and I ended up in the same city, at the same university, with the same major. We went from talking about the upcoming Taylor Swift concert over Instagram DMs to grabbing dinner at a local restaurant in NYC, a place coveted by the Taylor Swift fandom. Our roommates clicked into our dynamic, fulfilling our friendship even more, which feels all the more gratifying in a place that can make one feel isolated. Our group of friends has since blossomed.
The first time I met my internet friend’s roommate, I gifted her a cookie from the bakery I work at. I remember how grateful she was, thanking me profusely for providing her second “meal” of the day at 9 p.m. I still bring her cookies.
On a random Friday night, last semester, my roommate and I stumbled upon two girls waiting in line at an event. We made small talk, and in just a few seconds made bonds that will last a lifetime. By some “exquisite happenstance,” we found out that the two girls attend not just The New School but also Eugene Lang College, just like us. That night the four of us danced together like we had known each other for much longer than a few minutes. I replay the videos and wonder how we were able to let go so quickly, belting the lyrics of our favorite songs and hugging each other through the pain of those lyrics. “I said remember this moment in the back of my mind.”
On the night that Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version) was released, we all came together for the first time to celebrate. We held hands listening and crying to the music. Finally, after feeling so alone and misunderstood going through college during a pandemic, we felt understood by a group of people. We all knew our bonds would stick.
A few days later, we stood on the side of the street deliberating over a place to eat. Someone mentioned a small dinner in the East Village, only blocks away from where we all live. Although most of us had been to the diner before, its significance somehow shifted in the presence of one another. That night, we found our new home, our Luke’s Diner.
The local diner in Gilmore Girls, Luke’s Diner, is a prominent place for the main characters, Lorelai and Rory, a place where they constantly gather with their friends. No matter the episode, there’s a Luke’s Diner scene. Lorelai and Rory find community in this diner with the diner owner, people in their town and with each other. While it’s nothing fancy — just a menu filled with various fried things and all-day breakfast specials — the diner becomes a character of its own.
Somehow, fate brought us to this little diner in the East Village, Joe Junior. It feels like a spot we were destined to find. It sits on the corner of 1st Ave. and 17th St., and while the quaint diner supposedly has the best burger in Manhattan, we prefer the French toast; oftentimes we laugh at the french toast-covered table. Even on that first night at the diner, it felt nostalgic, as does our friendship. Joe Junior feels as safe as our friendship, too — one of comfort, of acceptance, of authenticity. It’s a character in each of our stories and holds many of our memories.
“I want the staff to remember us,” one of us said. We all agreed but were too shy to say anything to them. One day, my friend forgot to ask for bananas on the side of her French toast, her usual order, but the waiter remembered and put them on the side. We all looked at the bananas and then at each other, buzzing with excitement.