Mommy 2.0 (English version)

Milan- Malpensa

09-04-2018

5:00am, here we go... I'm ready. Suitcases check, documents check, desire to change my life check, worries and mental movies, of course check. I'm pretty sure that is all set. Bye little town, see you in 13 months, I will miss you (maybe).

I can't believe it, in 9, or less, hours my dream will come true... New York I'm coming!

Arrived at the airport in Malpensa (Milan), anxiety and doubts began to take shape.... My mother, my brother Luca and my best friend Lucrezia, try to reassure me. At that moment I wasn't even listening to them. I wanted to find someone who was in the same situation as me, who understood what I was feeling.

I kept checking every suitcase that came by, looking for that blessed pink card with the writing "Cultural Care Au Pair" and nobody was showing up.

Damn it. PANIC.

Then suddenly someone touched my shoulder, "are you here with Cultural Care?" said that girl, God bless her, "Yes," I answered.

Soon after that, other girls and boys arrived, so we started talking and sharing what we were feeling, I no longer counted my mom or anyone was there with me, which, now that I think about it, I'm sorry, but at that moment I really didn't care.

The time to say goodbye is arrived, try to image the scene... tears, rivers of lakes of tears and whoever has more to put (my mother included) and then, there was me, who couldn't care less, I wanted to get on that damn plane and go. I think I glanced at my mother, just to let her know that I wasn't going to war, instead I was happy. Goodbye dear mother country, see ya.

Not even the time to get on the plane that my head was already across the ocean. I imagined what it would be like to land on in USA for the first time, I mean, try to understand me, a girl of almost 19 years old, on the other side of the world, away from everyone, alone, to rebuild her life, with a huge baggage ready to be filled with new adventures. We took off in a bit and as soon as the plane was up in the sky I fell asleep.

But wait, let's take a step back. All started in February/March 2018, my graduation was about to coming up, and my ideas for the future were quite clear. I wanted to become a fashion designer so I would definitely start the University in September.

Until, one morning, it was a Wednesday at the end of March, I heard one of my classmates talking about this agency in Milan called Cultural Au pair or something, actually I didn't understand really well. The only thing I heard was "United States of America". So I began to think about the States, who would not want to be there at least once. Back home, I looked online for this agency and basically gives you the opportunity to live in the USA for at least a year as an Au Pair. Wait, what? Au Pair, what does that mean?? The Au pair is a babysitter but lives in a house with the host family and takes care of their children. Dude, I thought, it would be a dream. To live with a real American family with their customs and traditions, play with children, learn the perfectly language and travel. I didn't believe it, it was all too good to be true. I wasn't sure enough thought so I decided to attend the open day that would be held soon. With my mind, I was already in California, on a beach enjoying life, poor deluded.

At the beginning of May I attended the open day, with my two classmates, Martina and Federica. It was very interesting, they explained every detail: from the compilation of the application, a sort of curriculum, to the activation of your profile, through which families, if interested could contact you, at the next match, rematch, various documents, the approach with children, working time, pay, holidays and other things. They also let some formers Au Pair talk about their experiences; I must say I was fascinated. I wanted to leave immediately.

I finished my application in early June, I was really tired, I wanted to finish those damn exams, I couldn't take it anymore. No family had contacted me yet, I was sincerely letting it go but I liked to let my mind go through how nice it would be to start a new life there. I kept telling myself that no one was going to pick me anyway, so I let myself to calm down and focus on my exams. One morning, however, an email told me that a family had contacted me, very excited, I started reading their profile on the site; once a family contacts you, accessing your profile, in the section "my family network" you find all the families who would like to connect with you, and that's where you can decide whether to accept their request or not. If you decide to chat with them, just send an email and you will arrange for a Skype video call to get to know each other better. I, immediately, contacted them and the video call took place, I was very nervous and my English too. It went well but I was not convinced. I, patiently, awaited the next contacts.

In the meantime, I finally graduated. Thank you God. About a month passed since my graduation, several contacts and video calls, indecisions and sleepless nights, on July 23 came the long-awaited "match", that is when you decide that will be your host family, with a family from Colorado.

Colorado? What's that? Yeah, guys, Colorado. At the time, I was very skeptical about Colorado, but who wanted Colorado, in the middle of the desert and bushes, I wanted a big city.

Was arrived the time to tell that to all of my family who were astonished and wished me the best, I think they didn't quite understand how big and important the situation was and sincerely I wasn't realizing it either. But let's just say that the worst thing was my grandmother, who as soon as I told her the news, was really upset that she barely spoke to me. She wouldn't believe it, didn't want me to go so far for work, let's just say she didn't trust me very much and was very worried about what might happen to me. My parents reassured her and also told her that I was under a secure agency. I talked to her about the stories of the formers girls at the open day and so she calmed down, thank God.

My summer was full: I enjoyed go to the beach and sun, have fun with my friends, go to Paris and the mountains, celebrate but I also spent days in the embassy for the American visa, at the police station for my passport, at the motorization for the international license and by the doctor for various vaccines.

A few days before my departure, at the beginning of September, I decided to make a "goodbye's dinner" with some of my friends, because most on them were on vacation. I ended up crying and having fun. It was a good evening.

The following days I spent doing, unpacking, redoing, and re-packing for thousand times my suitcases. They were too full, too heavy, or too full of useless things, even if, as I say, you never know what you need.

And here we are on the big day, I still didn't believe it, me, that until a few months ago I didn't even hope, in a few minutes I would get on that plane that would change my life. WOW!!!

"Ladies and gentlemen, in a less than 15 minutes we will land," said the pilot, " Oh God, God we're landing, God I'm in NYC." I said, I was super excited

2.00pm, NYC time. OH MY GOD.

Author space:

Ehi guys, whats up?

so this is the first chapel of my book in English version. I hope you will enjoy it!

Please comment and tell me what you think about it!

Have a very great day:)

Kiss, Martuz!!