Public Friends. Private Strangers.
How we keep people ( almost ) away
We live publicly connected lives and privately distant ones. Ambition, rituals of “self-care,” and neat boundary lines keep us efficient, but quietly alone. Somewhere along the way, friendship started to look impractical, even old-fashioned.
We’ve mastered friendly distance: kind and just out of reach, where “I’m around” replaces “I’m here.” These pages wonder what it would take to move from almost away to almost close.
This book doesn’t hand you steps. It opens a door: to question the version of self-care that is making us smaller, the boundaries that turn into walls, and the way “being networked” isn’t the same as being held. If you’re ready for closeness that feels modern and human, come in.
About the Author
Marigona HasajAuthor of “Public Friends. Private Strangers.”
A software developer and first-time author navigating life (and friendships) across continents. For the past few years I’ve lived like a modern nomad—Singapore, French Guiana, Brazil, Switzerland, Tahiti, Canada, France, and Kosovo. Making friends as an adult felt like debugging someone else’s code: confusing, unpredictable, occasionally soul-crushing… and deeply rewarding when it finally works.
Somewhere between fixing bugs and forgetting birthdays, I realized friendships aren’t just nice to have— they’re mandatory system requirements for staying sane. This book is a mirror for anyone who wants closeness without performance, and softer edges in a world that keeps asking for sharp ones.
Come say hi on Instagram or LinkedIn — DMs are open and I actually reply. ☕📖
