Destin, Florida

Yesterday we took our last walk on the beach. At night. There was no other time, because work ended at ten in the evening, and then our Russian and American friends stopped by the Russian house to say goodbye.

After we saw everyone off, I, Natasha, another Natasha, and Lena went for a walk on the beach. It was windy because a storm had recently passed. The full moon was shining, and silver glints reflected on the noisy waves that hadn't calmed down yet. Lightning flashed in the distance.

• That's it, the storm moved toward Panama City, which means everything will be calm in Fort Walton tomorrow... we'll fly out... - as always, I found time to philosophize...

• My God, how familiar these names are now! Destin, Niceville, Fort Walton, Panama City!...

• Girls, you are leaving and it's like a piece of me is going with you... - Natasha from Chelyabinsk says thoughtfully, - two tenths, two out of ten!

• Exactly! Ira left - that was one tenth, and now there are two of us...

Today is August 14th. Exactly two months since we arrived in Destin. And we are leaving. Everything was planned long ago - Melissa and the Grand Canyon are waiting for me in Arizona, and I am truly very excited, but that doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye to the girls, our "Russian house", "The Commons", "Maui Nix", "Cold Stone", Destin, and Florida - this life looks like a bright postcard on the surface, like a funny story, but that's not the case - these two months in Florida are not a story, this all happened to me.

I worked until the very last day. Four hours after our night farewell to one of the most beautiful beaches in the USA, I was already biking to "Abercrombie and Fitch". Since that incident a couple of weeks ago, when I wasn't supposed to work but they called me at 7:35 AM and I came in at 8:00 anyway, they started putting me on the earliest morning shifts on Wednesdays and Thursdays, when a lot needs to be changed in the store: putting out new merchandise, changing clothes on mannequins, and so on... And that's great, because one job doesn't overlap with the other.

Today I worked from 7 to 12. I only "woke up" when the store opened - at 10. To "Mambo No. 5" - the only song at "Abercrombie" that makes me move faster.

11:59

12:00 - that's it. End of work! Work, good bye!

Hello, travel!

A photo for memory and I'm running to "Cold Stone" - Olya from Vladivostok is working there today, and I need to say goodbye.

We are sitting by the back entrance of "Cold Stone", among boxes, bags, and other trash - two Russian girls, two out of ten, one is a sales assistant, the other is an ice cream maker...

• I'll be living at Brian's after September 1st, when we all move out. Can you imagine, I'll be living in an American family!
• Well, that's cool! You know how useful that will be for your English!

We go outside.

Passersby turn around and look with interest at the two girls - one of them in the black "Cold Stone" uniform, the other in the "Abercrombie" dress code.

The ice cream maker girl hugs the sales assistant girl.

• Thank you! You always supported me! - Olya is crying.
• And thank you too! Maybe we wouldn't have become friends if we had just met in normal life, in Russia. But with you, I definitely would have become friends, and how!
  ...

I cross the intersection of Crystal Beach Drive and US 98 for the last time, turn onto Luke Avenue, then onto Cobia Street, put the bike in the middle of the yard - Hanna should recognize it immediately, it's her bike now.

• Oh, my girls are getting ready! - Karina enters the room.

• They are coming for us any minute.

• Who?

• Carey from work. The flight was delayed by two hours, I'm worried, the layover in Atlanta is now only half an hour, and that's the biggest airport in the country!.. Do you need the "Abercrombie" bags?

• Yeah, give them here!

• Have a safe flight and don't kill any Americans, - Tyler gives me parting advice.

• I'll come back and kill you!, - I hug him, - thank you for everything, Tyler!

We stop by "Maui Nix" to say goodbye and pick up our second-to-last paychecks. Everyone looks at us, hugs us, and wishes us a happy journey.

Vika comes up to me in tears.

• Come on, baby!, I soothe her, - we live in the same country, in the same city! You look, have fun, and make it even cooler than while we were here, you'll report everything to me later!
  Vika continues to cry, burying her face in my shoulder...

• And remember how we met at Sheremetyevo! And how we slept on benches at the airport in Milan for a night?...
  I feel her smiling.

• Can I have a fitting room?, - work hasn't been canceled for anyone, and Megan goes to open a fitting room for a customer.

I walk up to her.

• I signed up for college yesterday, - Megan says, now I can only work in the mornings, and I have classes from 5:30.

• That's great! You finally decided!
  Megan dropped out of school at one point because she thinks she's unteachable. And she doubted whether it was worth studying if she didn't know what she wanted to do in life..

• Here, this is for you! - I give Megan an A4 sheet with a world map printed on it, - Russia is here. America is here.

• Petra, will you show her everything? - I address Petra, who is from the Czech Republic - I didn't have time, will you show her everything, okay?

• Why are you so sad, you should be happy, that's it, Good bye "Maui Nix"! - as always, I don't understand if Lucas is teasing us or if he's serious. So I answer in the exact same tone:

• Lucas, you understand, we are all so sad because we see how sad you are today because we are leaving.
  Megan bursts out laughing.

• Ah soooo! - Lucas smiles a little, - well, of course it's a pity that you are leaving. Lucas really looks sad.

• We worked together with you the whole season. I hope I will see Natalia next year, I don't know about you, Ksenia, you say you are finishing university...
  I don't know how to say goodbye to him... and then Lucas takes a step forward and reaches out for a hug (!).

• Thank you for everything, Lucas. Thank you for hiring us. I've learned a lot working here.

• Oh, you really did!
  Study well, Ksenia. You should study well and not be like me in my age...

• Come on!

• Study well and do that there wouldn't be any war...
  (Study well and make sure there is no war - Lucas meant Ossetia).

Before the airport, we need to stop by Compass Bank.

• Hi, how are you doing? Can I help you? - asks one of the girls at the counter.
• Thanks, but I'll wait for Alena Adkinson.
  I wait for Alena to become free.
• Well, hi! That's it, we're leaving! There's little time. These paychecks need to be cashed, withdraw this much from the account.... And can you come out from behind the counter and hug us goodbye?
• No, I can't.
• Damn! You come visit the girls again. They are in the house until September 1st.
• I will definitely come again! And I'll bring a friend with me!...

Carey and Hanna are the last ones we say goodbye to. These two girls are little adults. They haven't finished school yet, but they already drive their own cars and work with us in the store. Carey is 17, Hanna is 16 years old.

It's unusual to watch little Carey drive her huge Jeep. In Florida, you can drive from age 16.

• When does the school year start? Soon?
• Yes, August 18th.
• So you are a "Senior" now? And what will you do after school? Which college will you go to?
• I think University of Missouri. My grandfather was a professor there.... You know, I talked to my mom, I want to go to Russia next summer...

At the airport, Hanna and Carey are crying.

• This was our best summer!
  I hug them.
• Well girls, we'll see each other again, for sure! I feel it.
  And that's it. They leave. And Natasha and I stay at the Fort Walton airport.

We sit in the waiting area. Two out of ten Russian girls living in one house. Two out of several dozen Russians working in Destin, two out of several hundred working in Florida this summer, two out of several thousand students who came via Work and Travel USA...