Everything is packed, the money is counted, and it seems we are ready. Today is Friday, September 4th. This means that tomorrow, Saturday, Irinka and I need to arrive in Old Orchard and pick up Sanka and Anyuta, who will be getting their last American paychecks.

Neither Irinka nor I had a driver's license! She had never held a steering wheel in her life, and I had only driven with an instructor in Russia, so we decided to leave at night when traffic in the city is minimal, and also to avoid highways due to a lack (or even total absence) of experience.

We packed quickly; I threw my backpack together in 10 minutes, especially since it had shrunk by half compared to the day I arrived in the States—I threw away a lot of work clothes and just old stuff, and hadn't bought anything new yet. But Irinka's bag barely fit into the trunk, taking up a third of it immediately. And we still had to pick up the guys' things.

We left at 3 AM! I remembered everything I was taught! Started the engine, released the handbrake, let go of the brake—we started rolling, pressed the gas—we started moving faster (automatic transmission). As always happens, as soon as we turned from the courtyard onto the street, the first car we encountered was the police. And it was even more pleasant that they flashed their headlights at me, as if to say, "What are you doing??" It immediately dawned on me that I, like a total blonde, had forgotten to turn on the lights.

Next, we needed to refuel before the long road. After we pulled into the gas station and turned off the engine, I noticed that the same police officer had parked on the other side of the street and started watching. Apparently, he was checking my condition, seeing if I looked like a drunk or a drug addict since I had forgotten to turn on the headlights. And here, take two: I couldn't find the slot to insert the credit card to pay for gas. I searched for probably 30 seconds, after which the cop couldn't take it anymore and drove up to me. "That's it!" I thought to myself, "Everything is screwed," and decided to go on the offensive immediately. I walked up to the cop first and, pretending to be a foreign tourist, asked where to stick the card. The police officer didn't hide his laughter and said that the gas station had been closed for a couple of months and that we needed to drive 3 blocks north, saying that everything works there and the gas is cheaper. "Thanks," I replied and got into the car. And the honorable servant of the law slowly drove away.

In general, it is worth saying that the police in the USA deserve to be called police. It is very difficult to get in, and even harder to train as a police officer! Being a police officer in the States is not only prestigious but also profitable; employees receive a bunch of benefits from the state and, most importantly, free medical insurance. Perhaps that is why 98% of the population trusts and believes in the American police, compared to 27% in Russia. Perhaps that is why the phrase "I'll call the police" is very often the key and sounds more serious than "I'll call the militia now." Although, according to statistics, there are half as many American police officers as Russian ones (with twice the country's population), their efficiency is maximal. Besides, they are very fair! The police here serve more of a preventive function than a punitive one. I didn't turn on the lights—they warned me, gave me a chance to correct myself, but they definitely checked and "escorted" me for a few blocks. They don't take bribes, they arrive to help very quickly. I witnessed a police officer arrive 45 seconds after a call. I also heard a rumor, I don't know how true it is, but it sounds very likely. So, they say that a patrol car drives down every street in New York at least once every 10 minutes. Walking the streets of New York at night, you get the impression that they appear there much more often.

Anyway, I got distracted! No matter how good the police are, we should still avoid them. By the way, in the States, they don't have the right to stop you if you haven't broken any rules! They even showed a story on TV about a grandfather who drove until he was 80 and was never stopped, just because he drove within the rules.

Leaving the city, we were, of course, crawling and creating a huge line behind us. But what did you expect? First time behind the wheel and in a new car! Despite our speed, we got lost about 4 times, and in the end, we spent about 4 hours on a 200-kilometer journey ))

Arriving in Old Orchard, we realized that girls' bags are always bigger, because Anyuta's bag took up another third of our already not-so-spacious trunk. Anyuta also got us lots and lots of blankets, which came in handy on the road, and all sorts of hygiene products, like soap, shampoo, and new towels. We also did our laundry one last time, and like sailors, we set off on our journey looking sharp!!!