365 - highlights of the first year

1 year and 4 months. Sounds like a lot, does it feel like a lot? Not really.

For me the key is to keep myself busy and to focus and live in the moment.

The first year of my Au Pair time had a lot of highs and lows and a lot of things happened during that time. I want to focus on the positive in this post and try to find some highlights from my first year in America. Also important to mention that one big highlight of the time here so far is all the people I met, became friends and made unforgettable memories with.

However, for now I want to focus on the places I went to and things I experienced.

1. NYC

Of course I have to mention New York City. Although every city is so unique and amazing for itself, NYC has this energy that I´ve never found before. It makes sleep seem useless and shows me through its many many people how unique we all are and that difference is good and necessary. The hustle and bustle of the city might not be everyones thing but feels just right for me. Whenever I´m there I can´t stop smiling and have ''Empire State of Mind'' stucked in my head 24/7. 3 trips I´ve taken so far there and the 4th one is about to happen very soon. The fact that I´m going back again (and this time from the west coast!) shows how much I love this city!

2. Seattle and finding love for hiking

Seattle by night. I´m glad I got to spend 4 incredible months in this city! Lake Washington on the one side and the bay on the other makes the city special and it´s fun to think back of the disco boat cruise, watching the space needle by night, going to the Coldplay concert or seeing a Seattle storm game. Spending lots of nights watching the sunset and jumping in Lake Washington by day or night, strolling around at pike place market and finding my passion for hiking outside of Seattle with amazing people makes me feel very grateful for this time.

3. Vancouver

First time in Canada and Vancouver was definitely a great choice! Again, very unique city where you have to be ready for the unexpected and surrounded by mountains and forest, it is surely a place I´ll go back at some point. With just a quick drive out of the city, you have incredible nature around you. I´ll never forget how we very spontaneously and unprepared went on this hike over the suspension bridge into the forest where we found this amazing waterfall. The water was super cold but that didn´t hold us back from taking a quick swim to get closer to the waterfall. Will never forget that day!

4. First time Cali: San Diego

Before my transition to Florida I was able to make a quick stop in San Diego to visit a friend. The sun and all the palm trees felt amazing and were a good prep for Florida (although I didn´t know there yet that I would move to Florida). A Highlight was definitely Balboa Park and Old town. I liked the hispanic influence and the art scene of the city! Also, will not forget how we ate at the spaghetti factory and slightly underestimated the size of the pasta and therefore ordered waay too much food!

5. New home: Florida

Home for the next 8 months became Florida. Or better, Delray Beach. Just an hour from Miami and 30 minutes from West Palm beach it was the perfect area to live. Florida definitely deserves the name ''sunshine state'' and wow how I miss watching the sunrise at the beach with good people and going for a surf after. The ocean makes you feel so free and forget about everything. Will always remember our car rides with the best music on full volume and windows down, our take-out dinner at the beach nights with conversations with random people about the most random things or watching netflix at the beach. Going for a run by the ocean, celebrating spring break in Fort Lauderdale, endless nights and days in Miami and mainly Miami beach, our full-day beach days, eating acai bowls at playa bowls and lots of good sushi at our favorite places... When seeing aligators was not that special anymore I knew this state became home to me but still appreciated every single day full of sunshine.

6. Ultra Miami

No. Words. Needed.

Okay maybe a few... first and definitely not last festival! With thousands of other people we celebrated the 20th anniversary of Ultra Music Festival in Miami and the location, the line-up and the people couldn´t have been better! It´s blowing my mind how many different nations come to Ultra every year and how everyone is partying with everyone and it becomes just one nation! Difficult to name highlights out of this highlight but Armin van Buuren, Tchami & Malaa, Marshmello and Swedish House Mafia reunited for the closing were definitely a few of them!

To be continued...