In less than two weeks, I will be sitting on an airplane on my way to New York City, because my yearly USA visit is finally here. I feel like 5 months in between longer holidays is way too long, so I am ready to run out of that office – ready for take off.

So, finally vacation time. But why the States again? Well, I moved to Chicago right after my high school graduation and was an AuPair in a suburb 20 minutes from Chicago downtown for over a year. Plus, I lived in Flagstaff, Arizona during my exchange semester during my Bachelor studies. So let’s just say, the States feel like home. Ever since I moved back to Europe, I am trying to come back on a yearly basis, to visit my friends and my host family and to enjoy my favorite city. Because let’s be honest – Chicago is the best American city (yeah, you can’t change my mind on that one).

But this year’s visit is different. This year, I am bringing my little sister, who has never been to the US ever, even though I lived in the States twice before. So, as New York City is almost on everybody’s bucket list, we will spend the first couple of days in New York to ease her in, fly over to Chicago to meet my friends, fly back to New York and then back home to Berlin on Saturday. Yeah – not complicated at all, right. But it’s just so much cheaper to fly back from NYC this time around instead of flying from Chi-town. First World Problemos for sure.

This year is also going to be different, because I won’t see my host family for the first time in like 8 years that I’ve come back. They are currently moving to Virginia (enter loud cry right here), and currently traveling between 3 different states back and forth so unfortunately I will miss them. Plus, my two boys are already in college, so they are all out and about. This is kind of sad, because I love coming back to the house. I spent over a year there and it still kinda feels like my old home. But even though I won’t see them this time, I will for sure visit them in Virginia some time when I come back. And I have my friends in Chicago, so it’s all good.

So, what to bring, what to bring – I travel so much and I can’t believe I am still having trouble adopting to that concept of ‘light packing’. I mean, we are girls right. But besides that stereotype that girls bring too much stuff anyways and never have anything to wear (ok, this one might be true), there are so many scenarios that we have to keep in mind. Like seriously, it’s not easy, hello! Think about it: It’s late fall, so I have to bring a jacket. And not only a jacket, it might be too cold on my legs, so better bring a long coat as well, you know – just in case. And then I have different jeans that don’t match all jackets, so better bring another one in a different color as well. Talking about jackets, what about the shoes? Or bags? The list goes on and on. I need choices. And I also need to take a bunch of pictures that look semi-stylish and make it seem like I’ve been gone for 5 weeks based on the amount of different clothes I am wearing (haha, I am just kidding – or am I). No, but seriously, packing is not easy and I always tend to overpack, even though I know I will go out shopping over there. But at the same time, it is also kind of a ritual. Opening the suitcase and starting to find all the stuff that you want to bring (but definitely not need) gets me excited, I suddenly know something good is coming, which makes it also a fun, yet exhausting, process of prepping for the trip.

As my sister has never been to either, New York or Chicago, we will probably start out by doing all the basic touristy things that one has to do when being there and take it from there. Our hostel is right on Broadway and close to Time Square, so we will have enough time exploring everything. My last time in New York was 8 years ago, so I am sure it will be interesting for me to see how everything changed and developed. And I am especially excited to go to Williamsburg in Brooklyn, as I heard so much good about it. In Chicago, it will probably be the same thing. My best American friend managed to get us a hotel right downtown right across from Millennium Park, so we will be right where the magic happens. Because I know people in Chicago, it will be way more personal, going out with them, seeing the bulls play and just relaxing, enjoying the time with them. And, it will be HALLOWEEN! So, I kinda hope we will be able to go to at least one Halloween party. Yay! But I will fill you guys in on that once we are there.

So stay tuned while I am trying to spend my time focusing on getting to Friday morning next week around, because then its finally time to say: Hello USA, I am back!

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