Josie Alone in the City

Wednesday, Benjamin's 2nd day of school, Marty and I decide to go on a bike ride.  Not an overly ambitious one but one that gets us out of our small part of Berlin.  Zehlendorf, where we live, is right in the southwest corner of Berlin and borders the next state (to the southwest) called Brandenburg.  It is only a few miles to the town of Kleinmachnow (in Brandenburg)  which happens to have  one of the nicest grocery stores we've been to since arriving.  We visited the store when we went to see BBIS (Berlin Brandenburg International School) because that was one of our backup schools for Benjamin and I've been thinking about going back ever since. 

So we hop on our bikes and in about 15-20 minutes (all on great bike paths) we are at the store and I'm happily looking up and down the aisles. 

We grab a quick roll and a drink and while eating I get a text from Josie asking for me to please pick her up at school.  The plan when she left in the morning was that she was going to ride her bike home by herself.  I was a bit worried.  Why would she be asking me to get her?  If it were something serious, her teacher or the school would call me, right?  

We ride back and Marty picks up Benjamin at school and treats him to a "dessert cup" after his lunch.  He is loving eating lunch with Marty in the school cafeteria after school. 

Awhile later I head to school to meet Josie.  She comes bouncing out of school with a huge smile on her face.  She even says "thanks for coming to school"  Shocking!!  She then asks if I have her bus pass?  "Yes, I do.  But why?" I ask.  She proceeds to ask if she can go home with a couple of her new friends.  She is absolutely beaming with happiness and pride.  I know she has been missing her friends, in particular her best friend, Elliott.  She has been really needing to make connections after school with friends like this and I'm very happy for her.  She plans to ride the bus to the S-bahn (overhead train) to the friend's house.  Her friends, Ella, tells me that she will walk Josie back to the S-bahn.  I like her new friends.  I like them a lot.  They seem really with it and kind and they seem to really like Josie.  All very important in my book.  Then we realize her bike is at school.  What should we do about that?  Josie asks me to ride her bike home for her and how could I refuse?  I have to lower the seat a bit first. Seriously, my daughter is just about taller than me.  She goes off giggling and talking with her new friends heading on her first after school play date via public transportation and we are both so happy about it. 
She texts to let me know she made in on the S-bahn.  Then texts me after the play date when she is getting to the S-bahn near her friend's house.  She arrives home just in time for dinner and she could not have been more proud of herself. I didn't know this when I agreed to her going with her friends but she had to take the U-bahn (underground train) transfer to the S-bahn then transfer to a bus to get home.  All by herself.  I shouldn't have doubted.  She did it all perfectly. 

And then yesterday after school she invited her friend Josephine over to hang out.  She asked me to make her and her friend (and she allowed Benjamin to join) an after school snack.  They all ate and laughed together.  Then they all played a card game together.  I have to say I'm really impressed with the kids here.  They are all intelligent, well-spoken, confident and kind.  

Yay for new friends.  It was exactly what she was needing.