It was March 2nd of 2002, I arrived at the Dulles Airport in Virginia, with many dreams to fullfill. One of them was to be with my long time sweetheart, one of my brother’s best friend whom I ‘ve know since I was six years old. He had already talked to my mom, telling her, he will help me in every way once I come to Virginia. How many have come to the States, just to try luck, staying six months using our tourist visa, right? that was me.

So I called my “boyfriend” to pick me up from the airport and he said he couldn’t pick me up, Please, find another ride, he said; because he wouldn’t be able to help me. I guess (that phrase: finding a new ride) had a meaning that now after so many years I continue to understand. That same night I called a friend to see if I could stay with her, she agree and told me, to take the train, she will pick me up from Springfield Metro.
I remember crying on the bus and train ride thinking what would happen in the coming days and months.  I came to the U.S. because I was also tired of living in Perú, after a couple years living all by myself and very independently in Mexico, City for two years; I got use to my independence. Once my assignment with United Airlines in Mexico – city ended; I went back to Peru but couldn’t find a job there; I felt I didn’t fit in there anymore.

So that night, my girlfriend picked me up from Springfield metro and said to me: Ok, you must be sad and all that, but tonite we will go to a club (the back then popular, E-City in Tyssons Corner, VA) Obviously I didn’t feel like dancing; I felt lost, super sad, I felt my dreams were trashed in a matter of seconds. I don’t know what happened to my long time sweetheart who changed his mind, even till this day.
But that is not important anymore. He was right I needed to find another ride.

Anyhow…now I understand God’s purposes in a better way than almost 15 years ago.
That night I went out with my friend, that same night God will change my life forever. That night I met Mr. Brooks, with whom I married after eight months. Wanna know what happened to my old long time sweetheart? I have hardly saw him maybe but five time in all those years leaving in the U.S.

This post isn’t about my relashionship with my husband is more about who I was before I became Mrs. Brooks.

I was worried about how to survive. I only had $600 and I even thought about going back to Perú. My dad told me he would help me, only If I would go back to Perú. My younger brother told me: You have always being my super-hero, I know you will manage to be OK”; he gave me courage, to stay in the U.S.
So my friend Connie, help me find a job and that is how I ended up working at a beautiful home in Mclean. With a family who was looking for a living nanny where I will have a place to live and I will have a job, too. So I interviewed for the living nanny position and got my first job as a nanny, where I will take care of Joey, a five year old and will also help with the house shores.

I absolutely fall in love with Joey. He became my little buddy, my family. I didn’t have any relatives other than some friends. Joey would test me in many ways, his mom already told me about stories of him and other nanny’s that he didn’t like. And I hoped it would be different with me. He was always playful and high energetic. His mom worked so much we will be spending a lot of time together.
During school time I will drive Joey to the Beavouir School for boys in Washington DC and we will tell us so many stories, while driving. We will go to the country club, play in the pool, have playdates with his neighbors or simply go to chucky cheese.

While I worked as a living nanny, I dated Mr. Brooks and just as what happens when you are dating, we had good days and bad days. The only person that was there for me to cheer me up was the little five year old boy Joey. He knew when I was sad, he knew when I didn’t want to play much specially one day, because Mr. Brooks made a comment about perhaps I was dating him because of his U.S. citizenship. I was a person with real feelings I wasn’t looking for any paperwork to stay in the U.S. but I am pretty sure Mr. Brooks wasn’t the only and first person thinking, that about many women come just to get their green card. I guess soon he realized that wasn’t my purpose
Joey sometimes will actually tell me, Evelyn you are sad is OK, let’s just watch TV.

So days went by and I had one of the most special memories while I was Joey’s nanny. I remember the day his mom and dad, had to go to the hospital because Angela was pregnant and will give birth to A.J. Joey’s younger brother. Joey’s mom had asked me to please help her more than ever while she was at the hospital and of course I would not let her down. Joey and I were closer than ever. Things got a little complicated and we lived some difficult days because A.J. had severe jaundice issues. A.J. finally came back home and I was asked to babysit him, too; but in all honesty I was so worried about A.J. he was so tiny and he looked sick. I didn’t really wanted to watch him because I thought he will stop breathing at anytime. I will constantly put my finger in his nose just to see if he was breathing.

After a few weeks things got better for A.J. and I continue to work with this beautiful family.

Although my visa will soon expire, my dad got sick and I had to come back to Peru. I had to leave the country no later than November 23rd. 2002

I was sad to go back to Peru. I was sad to leave Joey and of course Bryan. It was hard to make understand a five year old what was happening. Other than I will come back to visit. I remember Joey was in my bedroom when I was packing my cloths to leave the house. I will pack and Joey will unpack, I will put things in my suitcase and he will get them all out. We both were heartbroken, it is hard to see someone we love go, right? I could understand it but how do you make a five year old understand it, right?

This weekend after so many years I had the chance to see Joey and his beautiful family on a weekend that I will never forget. Joey is now 20 years old. Instead of me watching him, now he is watching after Tyler and Stella. He’ll always be my little Joey. I hope when he reads this posts he knows how special he was for me. After so many years I want him to know he has a friend and just as he cheered me up when I needed it, if he ever needs me to cheer him up I will be there for him.

Yes, I was a nanny and house keeper. I am proud to have worked for my little Joey (now 20) and his family before I was Mrs. Brooks and before we launched Evelyn Brooks Designs over 13 years ago.
Many things have happened in both our families, after A.J, came Chloe (Joey’s youngest sister), they moved to North Carolina and continue with their life but we kept in touch.

I went from being a nanny, then to work in the travel industry and then to create Evelyn Brooks Designs.
Humbly proud of my beginnings, of the opportunities I was granted and to loudly say
YES, YOU CAN DO IT. We could have good and bad days but with perservace & courage YOU CAN DO IT.
Anything you want in life you can accomplish, you just have to work hard, get trained, study hard, while inspiring others to do the same and always being thankful with those who helped you.
I dedicate this post to my little Joey, THANK YOU, you will always have special place in my heart.

Sincerely

Evelyn

It was March 2nd of 2002, I arrived at the Dulles Airport in Virginia, with many dreams to fullfill. One of them was to be with my long time sweetheart, one of my brother’s best friend whom I ‘ve know since I was six years old. He had already talked to my mom, telling her, he will help me in every way once I come to Virginia. How many have come to the States, just to try luck, staying six months using our tourist visa, right? that was me.

So I called my “boyfriend” to pick me up from the airport and he said he couldn’t pick me up, Please, find another ride, he said; because he wouldn’t be able to help me. I guess (that phrase: finding a new ride) had a meaning that now after so many years I continue to understand. That same night I called a friend to see if I could stay with her, she agree and told me, to take the train, she will pick me up from Springfield Metro.
I remember crying on the bus and train ride thinking what would happen in the coming days and months.  I came to the U.S. because I was also tired of living in Perú, after a couple years living all by myself and very independently in Mexico, City for two years; I got use to my independence. Once my assignment with United Airlines in Mexico – city ended; I went back to Peru but couldn’t find a job there; I felt I didn’t fit in there anymore.

So that night, my girlfriend picked me up from Springfield metro and said to me: Ok, you must be sad and all that, but tonite we will go to a club (the back then popular, E-City in Tyssons Corner, VA) Obviously I didn’t feel like dancing; I felt lost, super sad, I felt my dreams were trashed in a matter of seconds. I don’t know what happened to my long time sweetheart who changed his mind, even till this day.
But that is not important anymore. He was right I needed to find another ride.

Anyhow…now I understand God’s purposes in a better way than almost 15 years ago.
That night I went out with my friend, that same night God will change my life forever. That night I met Mr. Brooks, with whom I married after eight months. Wanna know what happened to my old long time sweetheart? I have hardly saw him maybe but five time in all those years leaving in the U.S.

This post isn’t about my relashionship with my husband is more about who I was before I became Mrs. Brooks.

I was worried about how to survive. I only had $600 and I even thought about going back to Perú. My dad told me he would help me, only If I would go back to Perú. My younger brother told me: You have always being my super-hero, I know you will manage to be OK”; he gave me courage, to stay in the U.S.
So my friend Connie, help me find a job and that is how I ended up working at a beautiful home in Mclean. With a family who was looking for a living nanny where I will have a place to live and I will have a job, too. So I interviewed for the living nanny position and got my first job as a nanny, where I will take care of Joey, a five year old and will also help with the house shores.

I absolutely fall in love with Joey. He became my little buddy, my family. I didn’t have any relatives other than some friends. Joey would test me in many ways, his mom already told me about stories of him and other nanny’s that he didn’t like. And I hoped it would be different with me. He was always playful and high energetic. His mom worked so much we will be spending a lot of time together.
During school time I will drive Joey to the Beavouir School for boys in Washington DC and we will tell us so many stories, while driving. We will go to the country club, play in the pool, have playdates with his neighbors or simply go to chucky cheese.

While I worked as a living nanny, I dated Mr. Brooks and just as what happens when you are dating, we had good days and bad days. The only person that was there for me to cheer me up was the little five year old boy Joey. He knew when I was sad, he knew when I didn’t want to play much specially one day, because Mr. Brooks made a comment about perhaps I was dating him because of his U.S. citizenship. I was a person with real feelings I wasn’t looking for any paperwork to stay in the U.S. but I am pretty sure Mr. Brooks wasn’t the only and first person thinking, that about many women come just to get their green card. I guess soon he realized that wasn’t my purpose
Joey sometimes will actually tell me, Evelyn you are sad is OK, let’s just watch TV.

So days went by and I had one of the most special memories while I was Joey’s nanny. I remember the day his mom and dad, had to go to the hospital because Angela was pregnant and will give birth to A.J. Joey’s younger brother. Joey’s mom had asked me to please help her more than ever while she was at the hospital and of course I would not let her down. Joey and I were closer than ever. Things got a little complicated and we lived some difficult days because A.J. had severe jaundice issues. A.J. finally came back home and I was asked to babysit him, too; but in all honesty I was so worried about A.J. he was so tiny and he looked sick. I didn’t really wanted to watch him because I thought he will stop breathing at anytime. I will constantly put my finger in his nose just to see if he was breathing.

After a few weeks things got better for A.J. and I continue to work with this beautiful family.

Although my visa will soon expire, my dad got sick and I had to come back to Peru. I had to leave the country no later than November 23rd. 2002

I was sad to go back to Peru. I was sad to leave Joey and of course Bryan. It was hard to make understand a five year old what was happening. Other than I will come back to visit. I remember Joey was in my bedroom when I was packing my cloths to leave the house. I will pack and Joey will unpack, I will put things in my suitcase and he will get them all out. We both were heartbroken, it is hard to see someone we love go, right? I could understand it but how do you make a five year old understand it, right?

This weekend after so many years I had the chance to see Joey and his beautiful family on a weekend that I will never forget. Joey is now 20 years old. Instead of me watching him, now he is watching after Tyler and Stella. He’ll always be my little Joey. I hope when he reads this posts he knows how special he was for me. After so many years I want him to know he has a friend and just as he cheered me up when I needed it, if he ever needs me to cheer him up I will be there for him.

Yes, I was a nanny and house keeper. I am proud to have worked for my little Joey (now 20) and his family before I was Mrs. Brooks and before we launched Evelyn Brooks Designs over 13 years ago.
Many things have happened in both our families, after A.J, came Chloe (Joey’s youngest sister), they moved to North Carolina and continue with their life but we kept in touch.

I went from being a nanny, then to work in the travel industry and then to create Evelyn Brooks Designs.
Humbly proud of my beginnings, of the opportunities I was granted and to loudly say
YES, YOU CAN DO IT. We could have good and bad days but with perservace & courage YOU CAN DO IT.
Anything you want in life you can accomplish, you just have to work hard, get trained, study hard, while inspiring others to do the same and always being thankful with those who helped you.
I dedicate this post to my little Joey, THANK YOU, you will always have special place in my heart.

Sincerely

Evelyn