It turns out loneliness is one in the array of emotions experienced when moving abroad. I never thought it could be so haunting…just as you described, the weird feeling of focus on fleeting sounds in the background. I do not spend all my time alone, but somehow have isolated myself inside, especially with new people, as to guard a certain part of me from being “polluted”. It sounds snobby, but it is a reluctance to share with everyone. Perhaps it comes after some experience or age? I find too that solitude soothes, but loneliness deepens anxiety. Next step is to open up, be more vulnerable again. Can I trust myself enough to do that? Thank you for sharing this feeling, it is wonderful how lonely we can feel and how similar we are in experiencing it (this comment feels like a weird kind of introverted way to connect..oh well :)