My asylum

Poor Whitney. She’s currently working two jobs, of which she dedicates approximately fifty hours a week to, and then she has to come home to a boyfriend who could easily gain admission to a house for the ‘mentally unstable’ right now.

On the surface, many would be envious of my lifestyle. I have the option of getting out of bed at anytime I desire, I have a full TV package and internet to keep me entertained when I do finally emerge, and I sit nice and warm in my apartment, as temperatures outside begin to fall day-by-day. Life sounds great right now, correct? Scrap that.

Since my working visa expired, I’ve slowly dwindled into a state of insanity in the apartment, which may as well have steel bars around it and a sheriff sat outside the door jangling a chain of keys.

I’m sick of TV, I want to stab Facebook in its virtual eyes, and the heating generates a noise comparable to that of a pneumatic drill. I really wish I had the distraction of work again.

It started off fine. “Excellent”, I said to myself. “Now that I’ve finished working, I have a whole month to figure life out, decide what I want to do, where I want to be, and how Whitney and I are going to move on from here.” This isn’t how it’s been so far.

I still have no answers to any questions, and I’m even having trouble remembering what the questions were in the first place.

Money is slowly disappearing, and the friendly smile I used to gain tips at the restaurant is slipping into a “Where the f***’s my money gone?” face. I keep double-checking my wallet, hoping that a few George Washingtons might have come to join the party. But then I hear there’s a better party in Whitney’s purse, so they’ve all gone there instead, which I’m obviously happy about, I just wish my party were as appealing.

Yesterday I took a walk in the snow (yes, it snows in October here). I looked like a complete tourist, taking photos of anything from trees to Stop signs. But then I also looked like a complete mismatch having scrambled through Whitney’s closet for her collection of warm clothes. The result was a red scarf, a blue and white hat, and pink gloves. So the fact that I looked like a tourist wasn’t a concern at all.

It felt good to get out of the apartment, and I got a few good snaps, so was much happier when Whitney returned home from work. Even so, I still found myself lying in bed distracted, over-thinking about every aspect of life, whilst my eyes wandered from side-to-side, as if watching the best tennis game you could ever imagine.

Game, set, and match.

Tick-tock

I can't imagine returning to England in three weeks... And if there was ever an understatement, that was it... I literally cannot even fathom the idea.

Firstly, there are many things I look forward to being reunited with: my parents, friends, the city of Sheffield, and my beloved football team to name but a few. However, there's a bigger reason for me wanting to stay. The same reason I came here: Whitney Jean Hay.

If truth be told, there's been more ups and downs, more tears, and more obstacles than I had hoped for, but the bottom line has never changed, and it's those strenuous times that have reaffirmed this.

My time in the USA has been nothing short of amazing. I've tried new things such as herding cows and water-skiing. I've grown as a person, discovering new strengths and weaknesses along the way. I've been immersed into the North Dakotan culture, discovering a place of wonderful scenery and the friendliest people you could ever meet. I'm truly glad I came to the least obvious tourist destination in the country, because there's so much here that you can't get from the likes of New York City...

Don't get me wrong, I liked New York - although Chicago is better - but North Dakota has a laid back feel to it that seems rare nowadays. There's very little hustle and bustle, very little crime, and as mentioned, the people are a truly incredible bunch.

Last week my working visa expired, which is another sign that my time here is coming to an end. I've met some great people, both employees and customers, and it'll be a shame not to work at Michael's Restaurant any longer (and receive staff discount on food!). I'll still stop by and say "hi" a few more times.

This all sounds rather depressing, I know. But it really is a time for reflection. Until I return home in three weeks, I don't have a great deal more to do (apart from being the 'house-boyfriend').

Okay, enough 'boo-hoo' for now. I still have another twenty days left in the country, and I'm going to enjoy them. Whitney and I have an awful lot of decisions to make during this time, with even greater obstacles in our way than before. However, obstacles give life excitement, and this is a game i'll continue to play to the best of my ability.