Chapter 1a: The Arrival

Annie stepped out of the cab, the autumn breeze gently brushing her thin face as she took in her surroundings. The AirBnB looked even more charming in person than it had online—quaint, with ivy climbing up its brick walls and large windows that promised sunlight streaming through cozy rooms. She slung her bag over her shoulder, sweeping her long brown hair out of the way and adjusted her grip on the suitcase handle as she walked up the steps, feeling the weight of weeks of work still sitting on her shoulders. Her excitement to explore the United States simmered beneath the exhaustion, but even now, she couldn’t shake the dull sense of being drained.

‘This is what I need. A change of scenery. Something new.’ Annie thought, as she regripped her suitcase, electing to use the roller wheels on the bottom. Even though her suitcase was an old and battered hand me down from her sister, stiff wheels beat the alternative of carrying it again.

Her mind wandered to the cities she planned to visit, the national parks she had mapped out to hike through. Working a remote tech job had its perks, but it had also started to feel like a cage. Annie could wake up in one country, attend meetings in another, and answer emails without ever leaving her room. It was thrilling at first, but the novelty had worn off, leaving her feeling isolated.

‘Lately, it’s been too much.’ She thought as she smoothed the creases out of her clothes, the same ones she’d worn for the better part of a twelve-hour journey from her home in London. A faint animal smell, not unpleasant, permeated through the neckline of her clothes, even though she’d showered and put on deodorant before she left all those hours ago. ‘I think a shower is needed when I get settled in.’ she thought.

The meetings, the constant digital noise, the endless tasks piling up on her to-do list—it all blurred together. Annie loved the idea of freedom her job provided, yet ironically, she felt more trapped behind the screen than ever.

“Have you ever thought about renting a place abroad?” one of her coworkers had suggested at the end of one Zoom meeting.

“No, not really. Why? Have you?” Annie had asked.

Her coworker picked up the laptop she was using and made to stand up. Annie grinned as she watched her companion bobble around, looking like there was an earthquake happening at the other end. Her worms eye view from how the laptop was being carried gave her companion the unflattering look of a double chin, even though the woman was quite skinny. Annie watched as she eventually turned the camera of the laptop around.

“Oh my god. Brazil!?” Annie said aloud, leaning further towards her own screen.

“Yep. Sick, right?” said the coworker offscreen, panning the laptop so that Annie to take in the stunning view.

“Damn, how can you afford that?” said Annie. Mentally, she was counting the money she’d had in her bank account. It was more zeros than ones.

“It’s actually not that hard, really.” Said the coworker, finally taking her laptop back and finding her seat again. “All you have to do is check out Air BnB globally, pick a place you’ve been itching to visit and find a place that fits your budget and offers a few weeks, or even a month. I’ve been here two weeks already and plan to stick around for two months.” The woman added confidently.

‘Wow, two months. I dunno if I can afford that.’ Annie thought.

The look on Annie’s face must have shown, for her coworker added. “Hey, we’ve been friends for a long time, right?”

“Yeah?” said Annie, a crease furrowing on her brow. She was wondering where the conversation was headed.

“You strike me as the kind of girl who values time for money spent, right?”

“Yes…” said Annie, thinking that this was a very polite way to call Annie ‘cheap’.

“Tell you what, I’ll send you a discount code for Air BnB. I’ve been doing it for a while now, and it will knock any place you choose down by 20%.”

Annie leaned further towards her computer. “What, really? Wow. That’s—wow.”

The woman on the other end grinned. “Hey, you helped me in those meetings over the last two weeks, covering me for that technical stuff I had no clue on.” The woman leaned closer to her own computer screen, “to tell the truth, I was a little drunk most of those meetings.” She winked at Annie, making her laugh.

“I thought those sunglasses were a little bit of a giveaway.” Said Annie, pursing her lips, her face twisting into a slight smirk. “Though, I don’t think anyone else caught on.”

The woman on the other end tapped the side of her nose in agreement.

“So, yeah. I’ve got to run. There’s a tour group leaving in a bit to see Christ the Redeemer—but when you select a place, let me know and I’ll email you the code. Annie, you owe it to yourself. You work really hard. Deal?”

Annie smiled and nodded. “Deal.”

++++++