N.Y. Nanny Diary: How it Happened Part 1

Okay, so usually I'm a promise keeper.
But when I promised several people before I left for NYC that I'd blog about all my experiences, I had no idea what it would be like out here.
and in one word that would be: Busy. 


So here I am, using time as an excuse. So typical right? 
But fo' reals.
Since I have procrastinated so long, and there is much to this, I'm going to break it up into parts (I know, I know, you won't be able to sleep until the next post... the anticipation..Humor me.. )

Read on and you'll see that the word "busy" has taken on a new meaning for me when I became a "mother" of two girls-practically overnight.

Here's how it happened. 

Wednesday, May 16th: 


I had been home from school for about a month. I had just gotten my closet completely organized and I was settled. I was just working a casual 25 hrs a week and spending the rest of my time partying every night and doing really fun things .... orrrrr I might have been hanging out with my mom, going to the gym and organizing my closet...every day. Basically I had no idea how I was going to make it through 6 months of summer in the 'couve. I mean my mom is the coolest person I know, but only so much of my social life can be revolved around hurrying home from the gym so I can eat peanut butter out of the jar while watching American Idol and The Bachelorette with the woman who birthed me... right? 

We've been chillin since day one.

So anyways, it was just a typical Wednesday and I was actually at Seaside (the beach a place people from WA and OR like to call a beach) with some friends. I get a Facebook message from a friend I knew from school.
The message:

"Hey Kayley, 

How are you? Youre not at school this semester, are you?

I know this is random, but the family I used to nanny for in New York is looking for a Summer nanny starting in about 2 weeks, and I was wondering if you might be interested. I'm not sure what you've got going on now, but I thought I'd ask. 

They need someone until either the end of July or end of August-- whichever works best for you. They have 2 girls-- a 7 year old and a 4 year old. They spend the Summers at the country club, literally all day long. All expenses will be paid for, plus a nice salary. 

Let me know if you'd be interested and I can tell you more about it. 

Thanks" 

I could literally feel my heart jump. Who wouldn't respond to a message like that?? For some reason, I knew I was going the moment I read this message. Weird feeling.

After much messaging back and forth, the entire road trip back to home from the "beach", I was just thinking how I was going to convince my mom that I was going to move to NewYork in one week, and have her actually believe me.

I mean come on, it's like some unwritten rule:
When someone messages you and asks you to move to NY, expenses paid- YOU GO. 

Thursday, May 17th: 

I was tired. I had stayed up all night the night before thinking about my new life in New York.
Only problem: Hadn't told anyone I was going yet... I mean I'm 20 now (huge deal, okay? I hadn't been a teenager for exactly a month, it was time I did something that only grown ups do... make big, life changing decisions!)

... Do I really need permission? NO. Yes. Because my mom (if you couldn't tell) is my bestie and permission to me, is like support. and if my mom doesn't support something I want to do, it's usually for good reason and typically every time she is right.

So I planned out all day how I was going to break the news to her. 

She comes home from work. 

Play it cool, and stick to the plan. 

Me: "Mom, I'm moving to New York". Whoops. Crap. Not the plan. 

Mom: "Haha, Oh yeah? When?"

Me: "Next week..."

Mom: "Um why?"

Me: "To be a nanny..."

Mom: "Excuse me? Are you serious?"

Shoot. Telling her I was serious was suppose to be the first part of the plan. 

Me: "I think so...."
*Cue a night spent mostly of her asking me a million questions about the job, area, people, pay, environment, living situation, everything.* 

I just sat patiently and tried coming up with clever answers to give her no reason to not support me.. in-between bites of peanut butter and only during commercial breaks. It was Wednesday. American Idol. Hellloooo.

She was shocked and a little confused how this could all just happen so fast, but mostly skeptical.. I wouldn't actually go...right? 

Little did I know, her support was going to come a lot easier than from what I was about to learn, is the Protector of A L L protectors. Straight up, I'm now convinced he's worked for the C.I.A. and that the movie "Taken" was actually based on what my dad would do if something happened to me. Liam Neeson Mark Christensen himself. Aka: Daddy.

I mean come on, with a face like that, who wouldn't be intimidated??

Friday, May 18th: 
Today consisted mostly of my dad staring deep into my soul asking me every question that my mom had already asked me, plus a million more. He's a creative man, with a creative mind and he was determined to ask me as many questions as possible. Love this man. and it was very apparent that he REALLY loved me too.

I was flattered at first. 
"Aww they don't want me to leave!"


But in reality it was more of:
Ohhh... They don't want me to be abducted, kidnapped, shipped to China, forced into some drug cartel and become the latest story on 20/20. 


Understandable.

But for some reason, confidence grew stronger with every question I was asked, I was going. 


After a lot of prayer and more contemplation, I was ready to accept the job!

I received a call this day from the Mother. My potential "boss".
She did a phone interview and I was ready to tell her that I wanted to go.
The interview went well and she told me she had one other girl she was interested in and that she would let me know. It was very hard, especially after talking to her, not to get my hopes up.
I wanted to go SO bad. 


Monday, May 21st: 
I woke up anxious and throughout the whole day, I checked my phone probably 500,000,000,000 times. (I dont even know what number that is, but I'm sure it was at least that many).
The evening came and I hadn't heard anything.
I think my mom was secretly happy. It was very obvious that although she knew it would be a great opportunity, she really really really didn't want me to leave her.

Then it happened. 
It was 7pm and I was at the gym. 
I had given up all hope of receiving a phone call and I was on Mile 3 on the treadmill.
Phone starts buzzing.
Great. Timing.
I jump off the treadmill as fast as I possibly could and run to the nearest corner.
I take a couple big breaths to make it seem like I wasn't just running 3 miles, and then i answered.
I got the job! 
I was MOVING TO NEW YORK.......SUNDAY. 
Wait. That's like 6 days from now... I have to start packing! 


When I got back home and told my parents the news, they weren't really surprised but I knew the questions and researching and stalking- would not stop until I was gone. And even then it would probably continue. But as the days went on during that week, i was okay with it.

Because truth is: Every single day that went by, the more scared I got.