Things happen. Things stay, things change. Mostly, we live our lives the way we know it and how we have done it for a long period of time. But sometimes one gets opportunities, which open a new door. The difficulty is to find the courage to take the chance and walk through that door. Even if that means that one needs to leave the world one has lived in for a while. Sometimes it is only a moment, sometimes a few days, sometimes even several years. In my case it is 85 days.

In about one month from now, I will be sitting in a plane heading towards New York. Yes, The Big Apple. But this time it will not be the mandatory annual visit to my family and friends. For three months, until shortly before my 22nd birthday, I will be a research assistant for a professor at a New York University. What my exact duties will be, I will find out once I get there. Plus, I will be attending a course on New York history. All this will be my “abroad experience” for my resume but primarily also for myself. Live in the city I call my home for longer than a few weeks, experience the American University and discover.

It all sounds pretty exciting, doesn’t it? Well, it definitely is! But then I think about everything I will not have across the big pond. You, you, you and especially you. Calling my best friend: “Want to grab a coffee, like now?” Parties. Moves. Birthdays. Many little things that may happen within the next months. Then again, if one only thinks about that, why would anyone ever leave to go somewhere else? Right, never. So my plan is: enjoy the following month to its fullest, spend lots of time with family and friends and be completely truly excited to be in one of the greatest cities in the world, but not holding back a small tear.