This is life. Yours, mine, ours. Maybe my life here isn't the most authentic. Of course, in reality, it's not quite like this, but it's very close. In life, there is definitely the most important element of everything that revolves around you: people. People who leave, people who arrive. People who might stay forever. And what if they do?

Let's put family aside. I'm talking about those people you meet on your life's journey every day. You call them acquaintances, friends, or even brothers and sisters. Some become truly close, while others are just an episodic role in your "movie." There are those who won't remember you even a day after you leave their lives. And there are those in whose lives your mark will exist for years, maybe even forever. And the saddest part is that those you might consider the closest can disappear at the most critical moment. And those you didn't expect anything from can become an irreplaceable part of your flow. I went too deep, right? But, in essence, that's how it is.

And this is life. Yours, mine, ours. A flow formed by people coming and going. That very flow where moments arise when you want to stop everything to hell with what you already have. And not move anywhere else. But no. You can't do that. People still leave. They move away, leaving deep traces of memories in your soul about how you worked together, studied, drank, hung out, stayed up until dawn, and just talked about nothing. And then it turns out they are thousands of miles away from you. It's not all that bad. This is the age of technology, after all. There is the internet and other hustle for the masses, but there is no longer that closeness. There is no longer that pleasure and happiness you get from being near a person. The pleasure of hugging, after all. Now you sincerely wait for the next meeting. And as mentioned above: there are those you will forget the next day, and those you will wait for your whole life. Even without constant communication.

I have to admit that I too often want to make that "stop." With those very people, in different years of my life's flow. I would have liked to do it back then. No, not now, but about 5 months ago. Before the "escapes" from our restaurant started for various reasons.

In the States, there is a standard procedure for resigning from a contract job called "2 weeks notice." If your contract expires in a month or two, but you want to quit now, be kind enough to warn management 2 weeks before leaving so they can find a replacement, etc. The first to do this was Weldon, who became one of my closest friends and mentors here. I think I already wrote about his reasons for leaving. When he left the note, it didn't feel like anything at all. It seemed like there were 2 weeks ahead. But that time flew by like a single day, and half a month later we had to see him off to his home state, Texas. In such moments, you want to shut yourself off and not see anything happening around you. Not see the moment when the person who taught you all the basics of cooking and working here finishes their last shift;

does their last clock out;

and a day later comes into the kitchen to say goodbye to everyone before leaving.

At that moment, I had a full restaurant and many orders. What was I supposed to do? I dropped everything and went to say goodbye to him. With Weldon, we went through 1.5 seasons of hard struggle with management, as well as many difficult moments in the kitchen and experienced a lot of fun times.

And yes, together we truly became a family here. For some, it might seem strange that people become so close after only about 5-6 months of "live" interaction and a year at a distance. I agree. But believe me, when you live under one roof, or in one dorm, and work in the same place sometimes for 10-12 hours a day, and then spend so much time together, then recent strangers become the most real, close people.

After that, there were some other departures that didn't bother me much, but one of them was truly touching. Carlos, or Carlitos - a waiter from Vegas who has also been working here for his second season, decided to go home the other day. Everything suited him, but unfortunately, his son broke his ankle and couldn't visit him, so Carlos decided to go back. This is a person who, it seems, never gets discouraged. He is always joking, teasing, and just smiling. Even if you hate the day, this person will easily lift your mood. Carlos knows his job perfectly, and for me personally, he was the best waiter of all. He was the only one who wasn't fake and showed his true face to clients, even if he didn't like them. At the same time, he managed to always get the best tips and be a manager among the waiters. It was fun to work with him even on the busiest and most stressful days, and he even managed to help us sometimes with various little things. And, of course, as a true guy from Vegas, he was the organizer of poker nights, where we, in a large circle of players and spectators, played for a small cash prize to relax after work.

And what again? Another trace in the soul, and the person is leaving again. Just realizing his departure, I thought about everything I wrote here.

For the second year in a row, I bring a traditional Uzbek babaychik to the States, which I intend to give to someone here. Last year I gave it to my very cool manager at the end of the season, and this time the babaychik went to the coolest waiter. No. Not like that. The funniest babaychik to the funniest waiter.

We even threw him a party as a farewell gesture:

And by the end of the season, many people are already starting to talk about their plans for the fall, booking tickets, packing suitcases. This is the norm for seasonal work, yes. People come, people go. That's the whole essence. I will meet some again, and some will just remain that episode of the life path.

What am I getting at? I have no idea. Perhaps that you need to cherish every moment with every person on your life's path, because each of them is an invaluable experience.

And finally. 2 shots for the "movie" - the completion of almost 3 seasons of Weldon's life in our restaurant, after which there must be credits:)