10 HOURS AWAY | A Novel

chapter 01 - hello new york

10 Hours Away

On August first I arrived in New York City to participate in the one-year writing program James Goldwirth set up fifteen years ago. It had been highly praised since the beginning and I was one of the lucky candidates who got chosen. My entry was rated better than I expected and from that moment on I had been busy filling out heaps of paperwork before I had to be on an extremely long flight to the other side of the world.

Not only was this a dream coming true, but I had to live in a different country for a year. I had never been far from home let alone left my parents' house.

In all honesty, I had no idea if I was ready for such a big step. Nevertheless, I couldn't back out. This was most likely the greatest opportunity ever in my writing career.

Saying goodbye to my friends and loved ones was bizarre. Were they going to miss me? Would they forget about me after three months?

The last couple of days I spent at home were rather gloomy. I knew my parents were trying to be tough and not show any emotions, but it was clear they were struggling with the idea of me being gone for such an extended period.

From the moment my parents and brother dropped me off at the airport, everything happened surprisingly fast.

I slept the majority of the time on the plane and was picked up by a woman I had been in contact with to arrange my stay. My face was pressed against the window of her car as I stared in awe at my surroundings. So this was what New York looked like. There was so much going on around me, I had no idea where to look.

She brought me to my apartment and assured me she'd be available if I needed her help. I thanked her and then carried my heavy suitcase up the stairs. When I was on the right floor, I spotted an elevator at the end of the hallway, damnit.

I unlocked the door and stepped inside of my new home. It was exactly how I had imagined it would be, maybe even better. It was extremely cozy and the interior was exactly my style. Housing was hard to find around here, but with some help from the program it was easier to get into an apartment complex with other participants.

During the first days of my stay, I was stuck in this bubble. Everything was new to me and I often messaged my friends or family about the differences between my hometown and New York City. It was anything but similar. However, it was refreshing to be somewhere else after all my years in Brussels.

I visited a museum, looked over the city from the highest floor in a skyscraper, and went to an intimate concert of a band I had never heard of.

A week later I went to the auditorium where everyone was needed to be present. Almost all the seats were taken when I stepped inside. I knew there were a lot of people accepted into the program, but I didn't know it would be this many. I had to recheck my card to see which seat was assigned to me.

I hated how I was the reason everyone had to get up from their chair, so I kept saying sorry for a minute straight. Once I sat down, the lights were dimmed and a middle-aged man entered the stage. He was projected on both screens beside the stage to make sure the people in the back saw him too.

It was easy to recognize the speaker, he was James Goldwirth – his face was on every brochure and news article. He welcomed us kindly and talked about the program in more detail – how it plays a significant role in the lives of many bestselling authors of today. Not to forget to mention, he frequently repeated how honored he was to have us here.

As the minutes passed by, I got the same vibe as any other introductory speech at an event. Still, it was interesting to listen to James Goldwirth. He reminded us we were going to meet our mentors today and emphasized the importance of the relationship between a mentor and a pupil.