Hellooo America!!! August 18th-24th, 2008

08.18.08- I remember walking through the security check having this excitement in my chest that I really am going to America. Thousand thoughts running through my mind and I couldn't stop thinking about my crying mom who was standing there and waving. I could still see her, because she was pretty close but somehow it already felt so far. I kept thinking that's the last time I will see her before next year and uncontrollably my eyes got wet and I had this huge lump in my throath. I wanted to cry, so much, but there were lot of people around me and I couldn't find my sunglasses, so...people who know me, know that's the one thing I don't do publicly, so...I couldn't. So I sat down, tried to calm down and think about all the wonderful things I will be seeing IN AMERICA in about 24hours. It kind of made me feel better and realize that this will definitely be the beginning of something new.
08.19.08- I had arrived to Newark airport the earlier night. I could remember the heath that slapped my face when I stepped out from the airplane and all the lights that were shining through the windows of our little bus that was taking us, about 12 au pairs from Europe, to our hotel in Stamford. I also remember loud talking in German and nice girl named Anna-Lena.
Now was the first morning in America. Indeed I had slept through a night in AMERICA!!! I still couldn't believe it and wouldn't have believed it, if there wouldn't have been this strange girl staring at my next to my bed. Her name was Ling-Ling and eventhough she didn't speak any word of English except "hello" and "my name is.."( good luck with her, host family lol) I found out that she was from China and that we had to be downstairs in the eating area by 7AM. I was really excited and also nervous to see all the au pairs, knowing inside of me that I will be the only Estonian.
When I got to the eating area I couldn't believe my eyes. There were about 120 of them, au pairs I mean. It was crazy! I saw the German tables, about 6 of them( all the German girls laughing and chatting), the Brazilian table( all these pretty drak-haired girls talking and laughing even louder), Asian tables, there were about 5 of them and I couldn't tell where were they from and then 2 mixed tables where I saw couple of people with blonde hair( Scandinavians, I thought) so I headed that way. I remember being extreamly nervous and not hungry at all, but I saw a bagel( the first bagel I ever had) that looked really American, so I had that and was ready to find a place to sit. The Scandinavian table seemed to be 2 miles away.
The whole day had gone really fast. Despite of my shyness( yes, I was really shy that time) I had already made five friends and they were all really nice. Two years later of course I find it really funny that these are the only five girls I still keep contact with and two of them are still really close and special to me. Thanks Brigitte and Krystal for being there for me from the first day on ;)

08.21.08- Fast went these four days at the orientation and already we were sitting on the Amtrak with K and B heading towards the DC area, not knowing what this year will bring. I remember us freaking out about things like...will the family like me, will I like the family, will I like DC, will I get any more friends and so on. Who knew that DC would have all these "wonderful" surprises for us.
08.24.08-That was the day that pretty much changed my life. I had lived in DC for three days now and had met this lovely Brazilian au pair named Juliana. We lived quite close to each other and she had contacted me the first day to welcome me. That was really sweet and I went to our first cluster meeting with her. I really liked her, so we hung out.
That day she was inviting me to a church she hadn't been for a while, but would have loved to go with me today. I wasn't sure, because I hadn't been in a church for about 8 years, but the way she talked about the church and the people there made me rethink, so I went. And everybody knows what happened after that :):):)

I couldn't have asked a better friend to lead me back to God and a better church and church family to serve Him. Thank you, Lord, for being there for me already from the first day I stepped on the continent of America. Only thanks to you and your grace I had the best time of my life.