Wow, I didn't expect this turn of events today! I got home from work and Rich messaged me. He's leaving for Europe tomorrow for an indefinite period, maybe even for good. He's been trying to say goodbye for a week, but I've been too lazy. I know, I'm so ungrateful! But today I finally decided to put everything aside and spend some time with him.
Rich came over with his laptop to watch a movie, then started convincing me to go to a bar and hang out. Honestly, after a long workday and an hour and a half of biking, I really didn't feel like going out, and I resisted as much as I could. But in the end, I decided to go for an hour and then head home. Plus, there was free food, and meeting new people never hurts. Besides, I didn't come to this America just to work and sleep at home!
We got to the bar and I ate some free food. They had Korean food (oh, these Americans love eating cuisines from all over the world!), it was super delicious! I met a couple of his friends there. Everyone was so surprised that I was here alone, and when they found out it was my first trip ever, they were like, "Wooow!!! Welcome!". Americans are such sweet people! So we're sitting in this bar, and suddenly a girl walks up to Rich and asks with a distinct Russian accent: "Is this bartender your brother?" Seriously, I'm not exaggerating at all! Rich started chatting with her, and it turns out she's from Russia too! At first, I thought she was here on Work and Travel USA, but after talking, I found out she's 31, has lived here for about 8 years, and moved here after marrying an American. The marriage didn't work out, and now she lives with her boyfriend. And it turns out she lives right near me, on the next street! By the way, it felt so unusual to speak Russian; I've been speaking exclusively English for 4 weeks now! Sometimes words would even slip out in English.
At first glance, Veronika (that's my new acquaintance's name) seems nice. But the horror stories about Russians in America keep bothering me. We were always told not to hang out with Russians in America. But for some reason, I trust Veronika.
After the bar, we went to my new friends' place. It's so strange; try going to a stranger's house in Russia—it's scary! But here, everything is different. My survival instinct seems to drop here because everything around is so calm; there's no fear that you'll be kidnapped or something bad will happen. For example, in Moscow, I always hold onto my phone, check my pocket 10 times, and never lose sight of it because it often gets stolen. Here, I forget where I put it! I just feel like there's nothing to worry about. That's probably why I went to the home of people I barely know without any fear.
We arrived, and I felt like I was in a movie again. These American houses—I don't think I'll ever get tired of visiting them. Veronika even fed me and then drove me home. Amazing, what an encounter! I'm still in a strange, euphoric state.
