2 years...

have passed today since me, my 2 suitcases and the dream of a life in the USA set foot on Florida ground. It's been an adventure with ups and downs, but I feel very blessed to have made it this far ON MY OWN and to have a beautiful baby girl as one of the results of this adventure. I don't know where the road will take me in the near future, but the plan of 5 years USA to hopefully gain dual citizenship stays strong.

I sometimes wonder what it would have been like if I had emigrated with another person to share this dream with, but I guess I'll never find out. I do admit that the biggest struggle within these past two years for me was loneliness. Yes, I am surrounded by millions of people, but building friendships has proven to be like the Himalaya. Very hard to conquer!

The two main obstacles:

1) I feel like a lot of people down here are very self-centered. It's not like I didn't meet people, but the people I did meet always wanted something out of me. It was always about "who do you know?" or "what do you have?" to bring them further ahead in life. Well, coming to the States with 2 suitcases, driving a '95 car and the black Amex being far, far away, I had nothing more too offer than my personality and that didn't seem enough. I do feel that this is different in other parts of the country as I didn't have the problem in AL for example

2) Drug Usage! I've never known/seen this many people "on something" in my whole life. Xanax, Oxycodone, Methadone, Klonopin, Trazodone... words I had never heard before coming to SoFlo, but quickly finding out what they meant. In Germany I knew a couple of people that were smoked weed and I had heard of cocaine and heroin and ecstasy and LSD etc., but I never knew where I'd go to get some of these drugs. Here this has totally changed and it feels to me like almost everybody is on something. We joked about why they do not drug test at my work the other day and came to the conclusion that they'd probably only have about 5 of 140 employees left. Well, since I belong to the small group of people that can say they have never even tried weed before, I'm the oddball and it proves to be another obstacle in building friendships. I just don't fit into this scene and I don't have the urge to, as I do not surround myself with drug abusers.

I did manage to establish friendships with two German girls and I guess it is better to have a few select & reliable friends than a bunch of random ones that are high all the time.

Since today was President's Day and my day care was closed, I was off and Elaine and I spent the day by shopping for her as she is starting to outgrow her 0-3. After the shopping trip, Tanja and us two went to an Irish Pub in Fort Lauderdale where we ate and I had my first proper drink after pregnancy and baby. It was called a Bikini Martini & was very delicious! :) We had a great day and it was quickly over.

Now after 2 years and last weeks craziness I can still say that my car has been very good. I got it back on Saturday and the total bill for servicing, tow, & car rental came up to $1150.-. Needless to say that I was very happy to have gotten my tax refund on Friday, so I was able to pay this bill.

Okay, time for bed now! If you find any errors, keep them ;) I'm almost falling over on this chair as I'm sooo sleepy, but wanted to have a blog entry on my anniversary!

Good night from beautiful, sunny South Florida with temps in the '80s!

5 months, shot man dead and new job...

5 months in Florida, hipp hipp hooray! Yes, I'm still counting and probably will do so until my citizenship! Which means for another 4 yrs and 7 mths you'll have to listen to this :)

Bad news today: The guy that was shot next to my house on Sunday died at age 27. Suspects have still not been arrested.

Good news: I have a new job (in addition to the old one of course... ;) ). I'm not going to baby-sit, pet-sit or house-sit... No! I'm going to be a Boat-Sitter! Remember the German yachtbroker that I met over here in my first two weeks, the one that was living on a boat!? Well, turned out he was not really legal over here. He was using the tourist visa and left the country every three months and then returned. Unfortunately for him, at the beginning of May he tried to re-enter the States after a 10 day vacation in Germany and they did not let him back inside. He was at Miami International Airport for 30 hours before he was sent back. Well, problem is of course that he still has his boat and car and other stuff over here. He tries to get a business visa now, but as everyone knows that had to deal with US immigration and visa services, it takes time!

Since he is paying rent for the dock and his last roommate's lease is up in a couple of days, he asked me, if I could help to find a new tenant and look after the boat for a percentage of the rent. He also offered me to have occasional sleepovers onboard, which I will definitely not reject, as it is docked in one of Fort Lauderdales nicest areas. Tomorrow after work I'm going to drive by there and take pictures and stuff. I'm excited!

5 Monate in Florida, hipp hipp hurra! Ja ich zaehle immer noch und werde dies wahrscheinlich auch noch bis zu meiner Staatsbuergerschaft tun. Also muesst ihr euch das ganze noch 4 Jahre und 7 Monate anhoeren. :)

Schlechte Nachrichten heute: Der Mann, der am Sonntag neben meinem Haus beschossen wurde, ist im Alter von 27 an den Verletzungen gestorben. Die Taeter sind nach wie vor fluechtig.

Gute Nachrichten: Ich habe einen neuen Job (natuerlich zusaetzlich zu meinem alten... ;) ). Ich werde nicht Babysitten, nicht Haustiersitten oder Haussitten, nein, ich werde zum Bootssitter! Erinnert ihr euch noch an den deutschen Yachtbroker den ich in den ersten 2 Wochen hier drueben kennenlernte und der auf einem Boot lebte!? Nun, es stellte sich heraus, dass er nicht ganz legal hier war, sondern auf Touristenvisum hier lebte und alle 3 Monate das Land verliess um dann erneut einzureisen. Unguenstig fuer ihn wurde er bei seiner letzten Wiedereinreise im Mai nach 10-taetigem Deutschlandaufenthalt nicht wieder in die USA hineingelassen. Er sass 30 Stunden auf dem Miami International Airport fest, bis er zurueck in den Flieger gesetzt wurde. Problematisch fuer ihn ist natuerlich, dass er sein Boot weiterhin hier liegen hat, sowie Auto und andere Dinge... Er versucht jetzt an ein Business Visum zu gelangen, aber wer einmal mit US Immigrations- und Visa-Services in Kontakt kam, weiss, dass das dauert!

Da er ja Miete fuer den Liegeplatz zahlt und der Mietvertrag seines letzten Mieters diese Woche auslaeuft, hat er mich nun gefragt, ob ich ihm gegen eine Mietbeteiligung helfen koennte einen neuen Mieter zu finden und ein wenig nach dem Boot zu schauen. Er hat mir auch angeboten ab und an selbst auf dem Boot uebernachten zu duerfen und da sage ich ja nicht nein, denn das Boot liegt in einer der schoensten Gegenden Fort Lauderdales. Morgen nach der Arbeit werde ich gleich mal hinfahren, Fotos machen und meinen Bootsitter Plan abarbeiten! Hach, ich freu mich!!!!!!!

Anniversary!

Today I'm celebrating my 3 months anniversary at Toss Up Salads, but somehow I forgot to bake a cake... haha... let's save it for the 1/2 year... or maybe 1 year anniversary! ;) Since we were closed on Mother's Day, my boss decided that we are going to close on Father's Day as well, which is coming up this Sunday. That means for me: First day off since the 26th of May AND Siesta Key, here I come! Markus, one of the Germans I met at the Greencard Winner meeting in Miami, really loved it there and after I've seen a report on TV that a beach at Siesta Key was named the 2nd most beautiful in the United States, I want to go there of course!!!

copyright of this picture is not mine

Siesta Key is located near Sarasota at the Gulf coast, so it's going to be quite a long drive for me, but hey, Frankfurt-Rostock used to be my racetrack, so I'm not bothered by the distance, it's just going to be the speed that will get on my nerves! No 143 miles/h in a nice Audi... :(

Talking about traveling, since it's going to be my first Independence Day on 4th July that I will finally spend IN the USA, instead of missing it by days as used to, I decided to attend the traditional BBQ at my American family's (former hostfamily 2002/2003) place in Northern Alabama! I'm so so sooooo excited to see my little ones Zevin, Hunter and Alexis, the three children of my American sister Nickole and all the others again. It's been almost 15 months since my last visit! Yay!!! It's going to be a short stay, but worth it! Flying out on the 3rd after work and flying back on the 5th. Go BAMAAAA!


Heute habe ich 3-Monatiges bei Toss Up Salads gefeiert und doch glatt vergessen einen Kuchen zu backen...haha... dann heben wir das eben fuer's 1/2 oder 1-Jaehrige auf! ;) Da wir am Muttertag geschlossen hatten, hat sich meine Chefin dazu entschieden auch am Vatertag, der diesen Sonntag ist, das Geschaeft ruhen zu lassen. Fuer mich bedeutet das: Einen Tag frei seit dem 26.Mai UND Siesta Key ich kommeeee! Markus, einer der Deutschen die ich auf dem Greencard Gewinner Treffen kennenlernte, war so begeistert von diesem Ort und nachdem ich einen Fernsehbericht sah, dass ein Strand dort zum 2.schoensten der USA gekuert wurde, will ich da natuerlich hin!!!

Siesta Key befindet sich an der Golfkueste neben Sarasota, d.h. es ist schon eine ziemlich weite Distanz fuer mich, aber hey, nachdem Frankfurt-Rostock meine Rennstrecke war, stoert mich das eher weniger. Nur die Geschwindigkeit wird mir auf die Nerven gehen! Keine 230km/h in einem schoenen Audi...

Wo wir schon vom Reisen sprechen: Da ich zum ersten Mal den Unabhaengigkeitstag am 4.Juli IN den USA verbringen werde und ich ihn nicht wie sonst um ein paar Tage verpasse, habe ich mich dazu entschieden, am traditionellen BBQ meiner amerikanischen Familie (ehemalige Gastfamilie 2002/2003) in Nord-Alabama teilzunehmen! Ich freue mich schon soooo, endlich wieder meine Kleinen, Zevin, Hunter und Alexis, die drei Kinder meiner amerikanischen Schwester und auch alle anderen wiederzusehen. Es sind mittlerweile 15 Monate seit meinem letzten Besuch vergangen! Juhu!! Es wird nur ein Kurztrip aber das ist es wert! Am 3. fliege ich nach der Arbeit los und am 5. schon wieder zurueck. Go BAMAAAA!