Going the Distance ✔️

Chapter one.

September.   

I looked in the mirror. My hair, brunette and medium length, hung over my shoulders. My black rimmed glasses sat perfectly onto my face, revealing my big blue eyes. My mother always told me that my eyes shined bright like the ocean on a summer's day and that I could be anything I wanted to be. My dress was knee length, it was covered in white polka dots with red in the background and it covered my shoulders. My brother always made fun of me for being such a girly girl and a nerd at the same time, I punched him for it.

This was it. I kept asking myself whether I could do it, leave my family for six months. It was a big step for a seventeen year old British girl like me to leave the country to go to another on exchange. I was leaving my home, the place where I grew up, where I made memories with family and friends, where I once found love. I was okay with leaving for six months because it was what I needed to find myself again.

"Louisa!" My mother, Anne Shepard, shouted from downstairs. "Hurry up or you're going to miss your flight!"

I looked in the mirror again and sighed heavily. "Coming!" I shouted back, realizing that my flight to Charlotte, North Carolina in America was in a few hours. I raced over to my suitcase and did a mental check to see if I had everything I needed to survive these six months away from my family.

Plane ticket, passport, carry on bag, phone.

I nodded and looked around my room once more. I grabbed my suitcase handle and my carry on bag with everything inside and I raced downstairs to meet my family waiting out by the car. It was a cold day in Bristol and I was prepared for spending a winter in America. "What took you long enough?" My younger brother, Harry, said to me.

I glared at him as my father, Michael Shepard, opened the trunk up and helped me put my luggage inside. "You're going to miss me when I'm gone." I said to him, a smirk plastered all over my face.

"No way! I'm going to be the only child in the house!" He cheered, his eleven year old self looked so happy and I was happy he was happy.

My mother glared at Harry and shook her head. "That's enough, Harry. Give your sister a hug."

Harry looked defeated and he slowly approached me with open arms which I happily took. "I bet you five dollars you won't last five minutes without me." I squeezed him tightly and once we let go, I ruffled his blond hair as he chuckled.

"You're on." We shook hands before mum rolled her eyes and moved Harry out of the way to give me a hug that would last a lifetime.

Mum sniffled and squeezed me tighter. "I don't know why you wanted to do this, but stay safe and call us every day."

"Time zones, mum," I reminded her as we let go, "but I'll try."

She turned to Harry with a heavy sigh. "Come on, Harry. We better get you to your football game."

Harry raced past me without a second glance and mum smiled at me before walking off inside. I turned to my dad who smiled sadly. "She'll get used to the idea." He closed the trunk and we both got inside the car where we drove off towards the airport.

Once we arrive, dad helped me get my stuff out of the trunk. "It's only for six months, dad." I reminded him, I could see he didn't want me to leave either.

"I know," he sighed, "work hard and have fun." He told me before letting me go, getting into the car and driving off into the distance.

I picked up my belongings and checked in. It was going to be a long nine hour flight, but I was excited. My host parents seemed like nice people. They had two children the same age as me, twins actually. I sat on one of the seats near my gate and waited for my plane to board. I knew my parents hated the idea of me travelling to another country but I wasn't going there to have fun or to mess around. I was really going to work hard, no distractions.