Through heartbreak, joy and Covid, a 2,450-day Snapchat streak sustained our friendship across the globe

‘Snap became the thread that links us across the globe … one of us talking through a situation in little videos that the other answers 12 hours later when she wakes.’ Illustration: Victoria Hart/Guardian Design

It’s hard to say when it became a daily habit. There were stops and starts. Days when it wasn’t thought about. But little by little it became a non-negotiable. Wake up. Check the time. Send a snap. Every day, for 2,450 days straight. Almost seven years of fleeting moments, sent to a friend on the other side of the world.

Sarah has seen my sleepy eyes and the view of my dresser from my bed more than any other human on Earth. I don’t know why we decided our Snapchat streak would become all-important, but in April 2017, almost four years after we downloaded the app and started using it haphazardly, it became a priority.