Life in Ink and Footsteps

And here we go. The last weekend arrived. It felt surreal. I had spent 13 months there, yet it seemed like only a week had passed since I was sitting in my new room, unpacking and crying. Our perception of time is a fascinating thing to ponder, but not necessarily what I want to include here. So, let’s dive into the activities and goodbyes, shall we?

Saturday was full of friends, laughter, and love. I started the day early and drove with Nordic Beauty all the way to the Montauk Lighthouse for the last time. It was bittersweet, but I’m sure I don’t have to mention that. Everything I did in those final two weeks before my departure came with a wave of nostalgia. Understandably so. I won’t keep repeating that… probably. I’ll at least give it a try.

Anyway, we drove there, sang our favorite road trip songs, and talked. We made a little video where we talked about where we see each other in five years and our plans for our friendship. It’s become our tradition. Once a year, when we’re together, we record a little life update and dream up plans for the year ahead. And every once in a few years, we watch the old ones. It’s a good reminder of how far we’ve come and what we’ve achieved in our lives.

On our way back, we stopped for lunch at Witches Brew, where I said goodbye to my favorite waiter. I got a little present from him as well—a beautiful painting in shades of blue, my favorite color. I still keep it in this diary to this day as a reminder of our friendship and flirty banter.

In the evening, there was dinner with the family, celebrating the birthday of the older daughter, and straight from there, I went to the city. Last night in Manhattan. I might not be a big fan of partying, but I had to say goodbye to this magnificent city as well. We went to two rooftop bars so that I could soak in all the lights from all angles. It didn’t matter how many times before I had seen it. It was mesmerizing and magical all the same. We stayed out late, had some drinks, and danced. Besides the views, the most memorable thing was meeting a group of Irish men. Why? Because I barely understood a word they said. You know, I got pretty confident in my English skills during my time in the USA, but this experience humbled me back to my little insecure hole. I could not believe they were speaking the same language as I was at that moment. It was cool and a little sexy—I ain’t gonna lie.

Sunday was lazy. Just me and Nordic Beauty, hanging in my room and helping me pack my shit. It’s crazy how much stuff a person can collect in just a year. I had so many things I wanted to keep with me that I had to ship one massive, almost 60-pound luggage. It was through some really shady Polish agency that had a little filthy office in the middle of nowhere in Queens. I was pretty sure I would never see the bag again, but they only wanted 90 dollars compared to the insane price of over 200 bucks that the post office gave me. And I didn’t know anything else. This was recommended to me by a different au pair, and she swore her things arrived safe and sound. But honestly, I doubted it. So I only packed it with things I was somewhat okay with losing. But you know what? The bag did arrive at my home address. Sure, it took almost three months since it was sent by boat or something, but hey, all my stuff was there. And it felt a little like a present. Just like when you order things online, forget you did so, and then it arrives and you’re just pleasantly surprised by it.

Later that night, we went for a family dinner. All the kids, parents and their partners, the grandma. Even Nordic Beauty was invited so that we could spend as much time together as possible. Thinking back about it now, I have a feeling they might have thought we were a couple. Huh… I should ask the mum the next time I talk with her.

But back to our dinner. It was a cozy evening full of good food, good humor, and positive energy. They gave me a few parting gifts to remember them by—jewelry, a book about New York City, and a 3D puzzle. I felt deeply grateful that night. Looking at their faces and thinking back about all the times we spent together. How lucky I was to find them and stay with them.

And then, Monday came. I woke up early to say goodbye to the boy before he went to school. When he came home in the afternoon, I would be gone. As surreal as it might sound, we did grow close at the end. I thought about the hard times, the fights and begging, yelling and tantrums. I thought about him being sick, sad, and lonely. How we would hang out in the den, drive around, eat fast food, and joke. He would sometimes confide in me when he felt overwhelmed with his family and teenage emotions. And here we were, saying goodbye. Hugging, and both of us were close to crying. If you had told me that at the beginning of our time together, I would not have believed you.

The men of the family were next. Dad and mum’s boyfriend. We hugged, said our goodbyes, and off they went to their work. I made breakfast, drank my coffee, and read the New York Times for the last time. I never really cared for the news itself, but it felt cool to have it as a morning ritual. Yes, yes, I’m aware of how shallow that sounds. But I see no reason for lying and trying to make myself look cooler.

After food, it was time for my last family goodbye. The mum. It was heartbreaking in a way. She was my rock, my biggest fan and supporter on this journey. She was the reason why I didn’t give up in the beginning and stayed with her family. She was my closest confidante. She was my adoptive mum. And it was hard to say goodbye to her.

After this, I got picked up by Nordic Beauty. I ran some last errands, and then we went for lunch with Mr. FoodAdventure. Funnily, it was the first—and last—time these two met in person. For a moment, I was worried it would become awkward, but it wasn’t necessary; they were both open and kind, and the lunch was in good spirits.

We met at Sushi Republic, one of my favorite spots on Long Island. I used to go there at least once a week. We finished our meal, paid, and I hugged my friend for the last time—at least that’s what I thought. Who could have known we’d stay in touch and I’d see him again in eight years?

Nordic Beauty drove me home, I took a shower, did a final check, put my things in her car, and off to the airport we went.
Then, it was time for my last and hardest goodbye.

With that, my year in the United States of America was over.