Becoming a YouTuber?!

Chapter 13: Welcome to New York

"Is Nate not with you?" the girl asked in amazement.

She's one of a handful of people, who had arrived to greet us in the airport in New York. I never know how they manage to figure out how or where we'll land but Megan has told me it's quite easy with just the bits of information that people put out on social media.

"No, he couldn't go," I told the girl, feeling the pang of homesickness that somehow now applied not only to London but also to Nate. "He's in meeting with Canon, working on something new and he couldn't miss it. He would have loved going to the summit. He said last year was the most fun ever."

"Oh, okay" the girl said. "I'm hoping it'll be a big spectacle like last years. Everyone's vlogs were so fun. Will you be vlogging it?"

I shook my head. I wasn't really a vlogger, at least not a very good one and worrying about capturing all the little moments of my day wasn't something I naturally did or enjoyed when I attempted. Show me a picturesque scene and I'd be all over it but random little conservations throughout the day? I was crap that.

"No, but loads of the others will, I'm sure," I said and gestured to my fellow YouTubers such as Joe and Alfie.

Though I had managed to navigate a flight home from LA on my own not two weeks ago, I still didn't like being all on my own. So having the other YouTubers with me was really great.

We headed out the airport to the cars scheduled to pick us up after having finished chatting, taking photos and signing things for the girls in the airport. We all felt a bit disoriented from the long flight but there was not much rest for the wicked.

I was sat next to Louise in the big car that had arrived to take us to the hotel. She was fidgeting with her bag.

"Everything okay, Louise?" I asked her.

"Yeah," she said and finally found what she'd been looking for in her bag. It had been her little security blanket, pilly. She would receive no judgement from me. I had packed my favourite teddy in my suitcase to cuddle with during the night when I would inevitably be missing Nate.

"Louise, can I tell you something?" I asked her.

"That sounds ominous, Abbey, but of course."

"You're really a big inspiration to me travel wise. I know how much you struggle with travel and homesickness and so on but you go ahead and do it anyway. And don't think I haven't noticed you've been doing a great job at it this year so far," I complimented my friend.

"Abbey," she said with love in her voice. "That's very kind. Thank you."

"I thought you should know," I told her. "It's good to be reminded that there are people rooting for your success. It's very admirable that you power through even when it's difficult. I'm trying my best to take a page from your book for this trip."

"Missing your boy?"

I shrugged. "Not yet, but... I mean I don't miss him as much as I know I'll miss him when we're there. But is it bad that I already do miss him? Even just all this airport stuff, I'm glad I was with you guys because Nate is usually in charge of that. I did travel home alone just a few weeks ago, so I know I can do it but I just get so anxious that I'll mess up and end up on the wrong flight or something."

Louise planted her hand on my shoulder in a very motherly fashion. It was calming and reassuring.

"I always worry about that, even now but the most important part is that you make it through it and you did," she said.

"Yeah, I know. Nate always tells me I'm more capable than I realise but when you're in the situation it can be very frightening to be on your own."