Welcome to Lucy

"Dearest Theresa, I'm just writing to ask if I can come visit you for New Year? And if I could stay with you for a few days?"

Never has a letter filled me with such joy as the one I received yesterday. The dearest of all the friends I made while studying abroad, my old flatmate Lucy will be the first pal from my time in Wales to come visit.

The last time I saw Lucy was in a whirlwind trip to Swansea to see all the girls (there's Emily, Cat, Lucy, me and Genefa on the left, with our other flatmate Laurence back in France). That was in March of 2004, just before my work visa expired and I had to come back to the U.S. While I've been back to Europe since then--and spent a night in London after my mini-tour of Eastern Europe--I haven't seen Lucy for almost three years. Three years.

I'm not worried about having her come; after all, until he came for Easter this year I hadn't seen my Swiss pal Stephan for two years. As with all good friendships, it was as if no time had passed at all. A few weeks ago I reconnected with a friend I'd made in London. On the phone for almost an hour, we realized it was the first time we'd spoken since I lived there. And again--as if we'd hadn't seen each other for a month or two.

However, there's great pressure on me to take off work. She'll be here the 28th Dec.--5th of Jan., and the first thing I'm doing when I get in tomorrow morning is requesting time off. And if they won't let me, why, I may have to do something drastic. Lucy doesn't come to the U.S. every month, after all.

I'm also feeling pressured to show her a good time. In classic self-deprecating style, she writes, "If (hopefully when) I come please bear in mind: I've never flown before and have never been in a foreign country by myself before, I don't have a driving licence, have issues with the cold weather and have a nervous disposition. But after the initial day I'll be fine, I promise."

What does one show someone coming to the U.S. for the first time? I've had foreign visitors before (Belgian Louis-Philippe and Australian Stuart, whom I met in Prague and Budapest, respectively), but they'd both been to the States several times. All I was doing was showing them the sights of Chicago, not an entire country. Luckily we have New Year's Eve (and Eve EVE) parties to attend, but what about the rest of the time? I'm racking my brains to think of what kinds of American food Lucy would appreciate, what American things to show her or buy her. Besides the major attractions like Michigan Avenue, the museums, the Signature Lounge, and a drive down Lakeshore and night, where should I take her that's truly American?

If you were coming to the States for the first time, what would you want to see?

Welcome to the U.S.!