Monday:
4.00am: The alarm is ringing. I have no idea how much sleep I have gotten. And I really don’t wanna know either. For the first time in a really long time, I folded my hands and pray before I went to sleep. The thought of not being around my loved ones was killing me. And I asked God to take care of them while I’m away.
4.40am: It’s now, next stop Copenhagen Airport. We are meeting Martin And Camilla out there. We find the place I should check in. I get my suitcase and myself checked in all the way to Newark. We are heading towards the escalator. It’s broke, so I will have to take the stairs. Turning awards my father, giving him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek . Then the tears came. Giving Camilla, Martin and Mom the same kinds of hugs and kiss. I hurried to get it done since we were in tears. I went up the stairs crying, not turning around heading towards security. Just before I went trough security I got eyecontact with daddy, just before he went outside. We waved each other, last sight of my Dad, for a very, very long time. Heartbroken. God I’m going to miss them, both Mom, Dad, Martin! (Crying now) You really start realizing how much you love, appreciate and values people when you leave for such a long time!
5.15am: Trough security, no problems. Most tears have now left my face. Going towards the restrooms, putting my earplugs in. Texting my mom, that I’m okay and that I have to walk all the way to the A gates. Got a message back, she was OK too. Wishing me luck on my trip, hugs and kisses Mom and Dad.
Heading towards my Gate and then Waiting.
6.10am: Boarding begins. I have gotten window seats in both flights.
6.30am: Take-off. Trying to hold the tears, and I made it all the way until we were airborn. Whispering a small “See ya´ Denmark”, and then going half-to-sleep rest of the way. Pain was there, in my right ear as-usual! But I can live with that pain, while we just are settling for landing.
7.55am: Welcome to Brussels, 20 minutes early, but that’s fine. Wauw what a way to get to B-gates! Firstly through the whole A-gate, then down one escalator. Walk a bit – then down one more. Then trough a lot off hall-ways, up one escalator, walk around 20 meters and then down an escalator again. Walk trough a lot of hall-ways again, through the tunnel, walk, escalator up, walk, walk, walk, Pas port control, walk, walk, security again, then walk down to B11.
8.20am: Waiting time again. This time 1½ hour. It really smell were I sit, they really should start using some cleaning materials with a nicer smell.
9.15am: Boarding begins, a gigantic line of people is in line. I go to the counter, and are told to go to another desk so I can answer some security questions and get a new boardingcard, because my boardingcard was made in Copenhagen. Goes to another gigantic line, and after a few minutes an officer ask the whole line: “None of you aren’t going to Newark right?” And I’m like, yeah I am. Then I’m literally dragged all the way through the line. Gets some security questions about my suitcase, which I don’t hear half of because of my plugs. He gets pretty annoyed. Then he sents me towards another counter, whp writes on my boardingcard FROM COPENHAGEN and tells me to go back to B11 FAST. I guess they didn’t need that new boarding card. Goes back to the Line and straight through B11 with no problems this time, and then I’m in the plain.
10am: The 8 hour flight s taking off. Flying with United airline. I have never been on such a big plane! 3 rows, with 3 seats on each row! Though I’m sitting in front of the emergency exit and zone 3 so in the row I sit we are only 2 seats. The man next to me, really isn’t that nice, he must have a very bad day or he just don’t like sitting next to a girl who takes her boots off and putting on her warm comfy socks.
Everyone have their own personal screen where you’ll find all sorts of entertainment. I Watched “Black Swan” pretty creepy one.
Then food came, okay food and great service. Each 40-60 minutes they came and offered you something to drink. I tried to watch 2 other movies during the flight, but couldn’t concentrate. I wanted to sleep so bad but couldn’t at all. Couldn’t find a good position, too much noise (sitting on the engine, isn’t helping!), tried some relaxing music from the entertainment center; Adele, Josh Groban and Bruno Mars. Played suduko on my screen, watched the map where you see the graphic of the plane and the distance. Nothing helped. Well it was a good flight any way. Got some more food before we landed, which was very, very nice.
11.45am: How many fields can America possibly have?! Good gracious! And how many tenniscourts?! It’s such a beautiful sight when you are about to land in Newark. On one side of the river you see small houses, factories, train-tracks, containers etc. on the other side you see the Sky liners going up in the air. Very beautiful sight!
12.15pm: Welcome to Newark.
1.05pm: Trough security and immigration. Then finding the place where you order your shuttle. It was quit confussing but after asking 2 people (Strangers!) I managed to find it. Sat in line for like 20 minutes and then the driver came. I made notes, small cuewords and sentences on my mobile while going to YMCA. I think it would be funnier to just read the words with no explanations. This are my first impression on New York City:
- 1.25pm: In the bus. Driver couldn’t understand my voucher , very funny. Is placed in a basically filled bus. So I got frontseat..
- Speed limit 45mph, the meter is constant around 60. Broke? - I really do hope so.
- 3 places to pay to get trough before the tunnel!
- Lincoln Tunnel – Hello NYC
- Really bad roads – Denmark shouldn’t complain!
- Yellowcap hell and one single bike
- 2.10pm: at YMCA, can’t check in before 20 minutes. Room isn’t ready. Am I the first one here?
3.45pm: Blogging about the departure makes me cry. Have texted with both Mom and Martin, telling them that I’m here and that I’m okay :)
Have a cup of tapwater. It tasted weird. Not like the tapwater at home. I guess it’s just a matter of time :)
4pm: I’m still alone in my room, very weird feeling. The French are keeping them to themselves, only speaking French. It’s like they either don’t want to or have a very hard time adjusting to speak English. You can feel that they have been on the plane together – most of them at least. So they have already now made a good connection with each other.
It’s hard to believe that I’m actually in New York. But I have proof: Central Park, the view from the hallway window and the use of American convertor/adapter to charge your phone.
8.45pm: Meet Mette at dinner time, along with some of the Germans, all very nice girls. We ate and headed toward our first class at 7pm-9pm. But Abbey our head instructor during the week. She told us that she wouldn’t keep us for longer than 5 minutes. She knew that 15 girls still hasn’t arrived and that everyone else was tired, exhausted, exited and jetlagged. So we have a free night. I found that we only have free wi-fi in the “social” areas. Which is nice, but it would have been even nicer if we had it in our rooms. But I do see why this is. We will just end up locking ourselves to the room chating with home. So I went down to “63 bites” to get online. Sat for a while and this German girl stared at me, and in the end she was pointing at me and said “ aren’t you…?” and I was “Yeah, I’m her” So I went to their table and we chatted for a little while. We showed off our host kids, talking about all the girls with late flights. Talking about the French. (sorry to all the French people out there in the world. But seriously if you can prevent speaking other languages than your own, you’ll do it! That’s not a good way to socialize with au pairs from other countries – who don’t speak French) Wrote Erin my host mom, doing an update on facebook and sending an email for the closest friends and families in Denmark.
Went to my room, where I sit now at 9.15pm. My roomie still hasn’t showed up, which mean she will probably wake me up. Need to get up at 6.45, have put the stuff I’m going to use and wear on a shelf. Trying to keep as much space as possible free for the roomie.
First day is over. I’m exhausted. In Denmark it’s almost 3.30am. Which mean I have been awake for almost 24 hours now. Heading to bed and posting this tomorrow morning, while I’m eating breakfast.
Nighty-night
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