Melbourne

I scrolled through Nicole Ganker’s Instagram long enough to form opinions about a stranger’s life, and the verdict is simple: hers is genuinely better. She’s always somewhere beautiful—festival, beach, mountains—with people who look interesting, with a boyfriend, existing in that casual-but-perfect way that only works when you know you’ll photograph well. I’m at my desk most nights finding reasons to stay in, which is honest but not encouraging.

Photographer Alexis Sisely, also from Melbourne, shot Nicole for Sticks & Stones. The work has that stolen quality to it—beautiful light, beautiful people, everything seeming effortless. The kind of photography that makes you believe a life lived that way is actually possible.

So I ordered a pizza and started Riverdale, sitting in my apartment like I do. Nicole and Alexis are probably somewhere in Australia right now, driving to a place I’ll never see or kissing people who matter. I can think about that for a moment, or I can turn the heat up and let myself pretend the warmth is something. Both feel equally real.