Dear Willie,
I can’t believe that my time here is over already. I still remember what you told me right at the beginning of my stay, that time flies like crazy here and I have to admit it’s true. I want to thank you for making my life here so incredible and making this an unforgettable experience. Even though I do feel that it is time to go home now I will definitely leave part of my heart here, like I do in pretty much every country, even in the UK although I would never admit that if you ask me.
I have been trying to figure out what it is that makes this place so magical, that everybody that comes here wants to stay forever. It’s not Miami as a city that’s for sure because apart from South Beach there is hardly anything to do here. Neither is it the culture because this superficial consumerism is giving me stomach cramps and I could never think of raising my kids here. I’ve talked to Francois about it since he is not into the USA a lot neither, but has been living here for over 20 years now. It is really just the people who make the big difference and nothing else. You have found some people in your life that are just truly amazing and I’m very happy that you have them and that I got to meet all of them. Of course, it was quite a struggle at first, I didn’t really feel like I would fit in and everything. You might remember when we talked about friends here and that I think it’s so hard to find someone to hang out with, just someone you feel connected to and you can talk to about everything. It wasn’t until the very end of my stay that I realized that my truest and dearest friend here was right next to me the whole time, living in the same house right by my side.
I want to thank you for giving me a place to stay, for helping me with everything I needed, for introducing me to all these great people, for taking me to the courts all the time, for teaching me so many things about life that I actually think that I have become a more tolerant person, for not giving up on me even though I stressed you out quite a lot, and for simply being yourself. I really hope that all your dreams come true because you really deserve it. I honestly believe that what people give to the world they will get back somehow, therefore you will get lucky in the future.
I just hope that we can stay in touch even though we might not see each other again since you kind of decided not to come to Europe that much anymore and I really don’t know if I will be in Miami soon again. I have so many plans for the following year, you have no idea: university, finding a part-time job, volleyball, practicing my Spanish, learning Portuguese, travelling (maybe Italy or Hungary ), so no time for nothing, but I’ll try to send an email or any kind of life sign every once in a while.
Willie, I will miss you so much. Please take good care of the beach and all the people from the beach.
Judith