Well Hi there.... :)

Long time no see!

Yes, I am still alive.
Yes, I still live in the USA.
Yes, I still have a home, a job and.... TARAAAAAAA, after 3 years and 2.5 months can finally announce that as of May 2012 I will finally have a halfway decent health insurance through my employer!

What's new!?

My daughter is 16 months old and 2 months ago I moved back into the first community I lived in when I came to the US. After 3 years I moved into my "own" place in February. 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom townhouse in Dania Beach, all for me and my beautiful girl. No more roommates! Amazing!!! :)

I still work for the rental car company from my homeland, but was moved to a position in HQ in October and handed over the FLL branch to a junior manager who finished their trainee program. I am now in charge of the US fleet, have much better working hours (you could almost call it a 9-5), a bit more money, an assistant and got to go on my first work trip in forever in March to Las Vegas. Next week I will be in Detroit at Ford's Business Conference where the new 2013 models will be introduced and can be test driven. My gypsy genes are happy!

And remember me winning a trip to Atlantis early last year!? I just got back yesterday and despite the weather being not sooo great - South Florida and the Bahamas are being soaked right now - it was very, very nice!

I am reflecting my immigration story a lot, wondering if I should've done anything differently, but always get to the same conclusion: No! The way I took was definitely not easy, but I feel this journey has shaped my personality in amazing ways and I'm grateful for each good and bad day and each good and bad person that has taken me here. As I work with two other German greencard winners who got the job right when they got to the US, I see how "easy" this journey could have also been, but what is an adventure without some hurdles?

As far as the future is concerned, there is still a big "?" in the air. I am still following my initial plan of 5 years in the US, but after that... who knows!? :)

For the curious ones, here some recent pics and off I go again, undercover ;)

 Elaine decorating the Christmas tree

 New Year's Eve at Cameo's in South Beach

Elaine a little over 1 year old

 Thanks for visiting and God bless!