Stephanie, 40, met her best friend, Aislynn, 42, in a San Diego bar in 2014. They now live on different continents but have remained close
hen Stephanie moved to San Diego from London for work in 2014, she had no idea she would meet her best friend. “I was married at the time but my relationship was falling apart,” she says. “I grew up in Luxembourg, then moved to the UK, so most of my friends were still in Europe.”
She got up to dance, and that’s when Aislynn spotted her. “I was out with my sister, and I noticed Stephanie straight away,” she says. “I turned to my sister and said: ‘Who is that girl? She’s not from around here!’ She looked so classy and her curly hair was all wild and free. Her style was so unlike anyone I’d met in San Diego.”
The week after their meeting, the pair went for dinner and their friendship swiftly developed. “It really felt as if I’d always known her,” says Aislynn. “We started hanging out all the time. I barely remember the getting-to-know-you phase because it was so easy and comfortable.” Stephanie moved back to London for work in 2017, but it hasn’t affected their friendship. “We talk all the time,” she says. “Sometimes people drift away after a certain period in your life, but our connection goes beyond that. Even if we go a while without speaking, it’s like no time has passed.” As well as catching up via video, Stephanie makes regular trips back to San Diego, and Aislynn is planning to visit the UK soon.