Today exactly eight years ago I got on the plane in Hamburg, Germany to fly to JFK, NYC. The plan was to stay for only one year, to learn the language better, to experience the American culture, and to explore the paths of Carrie Bradshaw and Serena van der Woodsen. What I didn’t know when I got on the plane eight years ago, was that I would end up living here and build my entire life in the States.

There is this quote that I stumbled upon this week “New Yorkers are born all over the world, and then they come to New York City and it hits them: Oh that’s who I am.” When I left the airport and saw the tall buildings, all the lights, the masses of people, everyone unique in their own way, I knew that this was the place where I belonged.

My road to permanently living here was definitely not easy, I had so many obstacles in my way and I was so close to throwing the towel and going back home to Hamburg, Germany. BUT because I have the best and most supportive parents and brother ever in Germany, I stayed. I know that sounds backwards, but they encouraged me to keep fighting for my dreams when I felt like giving up. They have always been there for me, and thank goodness to today’s technology What’s App and Skype in particular, I’m able to stay in touch with them all the time. I’m also so grateful for my friends in Germany and all the wonderful friends I’ve made in the states, that have become my family here. I’m so thankful to have such a great support system! I am very excited to see what my future has in store, if it’s living another eight years in the states or if it’s traveling the world, or moving to Paris. Who knows, anything is possible!

My message to you is that sometimes you just have to hold your breath and jump, take the leap. Yes, it will not be easy leaving your family and friends, and going WAY out of your comfort zone can be terrifying, but the best life is lived outside of your comfort zone. Keep on pushing. Take the leap. Learn a new language. Experience a new culture. Travel. Meet new people. Fall in love. All these experiences will shape the strong person you are meant to become. I am so grateful for all the experiences over the past eight years, good and bad, because I learned so much about myself and about how strong I really am. The best life is lived outside of your comfort zone! Take a leap!

I would love to hear more about your stories. What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done outside of your comfort one? Are you thinking about taking a leap, but are second guessing yourself? Thank you so much for reading and I can’t wait to read your stories. xx Joëlle

*This is not a sponsored post*

[A]loha, and welcome to Oahu, Hawaii. 🙂

Where to stay?

During my time in Oahu I stayed at the Disney Aulani Resort. If you are just as big of a Disney Fan as I am then you are going to love this resort. I even got to take pictures with the characters at the character breakfast. Yes I know I’m an adult, but I had to. I love Disney!

The hotel offers many different activities, one of them is snorkeling in a closed area. That was really an awesome experience. I love how the underwater pictures came out 🙂 You pay for a day pass and then you can go snorkeling as many times a day as you please. And since the pools are right by the snorkeling area you can keep switching, which was really cool!

The Disney Aulani Hotel has a big SPA, and they also offer Ocean Fitness, Yoga, and many more activities. One morning I did Ocean Fitness which started at 7am sharp. And yes, it was in the ocean. I did squats, push ups and burpees on a paddle board. That was so much fun! And yes, I did fall in. 3 times actually! Thankfully the water wasn’t that cold. I am so happy I did this class, it was 45min long, and I was definitely sore the next day 😀 Then the other morning I did Sunrise Yoga at the beach, and that started at 6am! Yes it was very early, but it was so much fun and I am happy I did both classes, it was such a great experience. And the beach is beautiful too. It doesn’t have too many waves, since it’s a family resort. But it was very nice and relaxing!

The Disney Luau is also something that you have to experience while being in Oahu. The show was awesome!

Other Hotels

I did some research of other hotels and one of them is The Royal Hawaiian , which is also called the “Pink Palace of the Pacific”. Literally everything is pink, and it’s such a beautiful hotel. When I took a picture at Waikiki Beach you can actually see the Pink Hotel in the background. So the location of the hotel is right by Waikiki Beach, which is awesome! Another hotel I found is the Moana Surfrider Hotel, which is also located right by Waikiki Beach. This hotel is one of the oldest hotels on Oahu., and it’s absolutely beautiful! The Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort is also located in Waikiki and has some great prices.

Blue Dress: Bloomingdales (similar, similar) (more pictures here) ; Floral Dress: Bloomingdales (similar, similar, similar) ; Purse: H&M ; Sandals: TjMaxx (similar, similar)Black Bathing Suit: TjMaxx (similar, similar) ; Green Bathing Suit: via TjMaxx (similar, similar, similar, similar, similar) more pictures here

Waikiki Beach

Waikiki Beach is probably the most famous beach, besides the North Shore, for surfers. There were so many surfers in the ocean! There are many places that you can rent a surfboard at, next time I definitely want to try it. Waikiki Beach is very big, but also very crowded. You have to either like it and not mind it, or you hate it, then Waikiki Beach is not for you! And that’s okay, Waikiki Beach is not for everybody. Sometimes a more private and less crowded beach is nice too. But however, before you stop at a nice lonely beach, make sure you know how to read the ocean. If the waves are breaking further out evenly, that mean there is a coral reef and big fishis can’t swim through and you should be save (of course there can always be an exception to the rule). But if there is a break in between the waves out far, that means there is a gap in between the reef which means big fishis can definitely swim through. So be careful. *Disclaimer: I got this info from my tour guide who was born and raised in Hawaii and that’s what they tell their kids when going into the ocean. They teach them how to read the ocean early on.

Blouse: H&M (similar , similar) ; Shorts: Victorias Secret PINK (similar) ; Sunglasses: Ray Ban

Pearl Harbor

When you’re in Oahu, I highly recommend to visit Pearl Harbor. I got there in the morning, and the tour takes about 3-4 hours, depending how long you take walking around the Pearl Harbor & USS Arizona Memorial. It is very informative, and very sad walking around the memorial, and out of respect I am not going to share more pictures.

All pictures are mine,

So to summarize, I had an amazing time in Oahu staying at the Disney Aulani Resort. It is an absolutely gorgeous hotel. There are so many great things to do in Oahu, and I am looking forward to visiting again. On the top of my to do list for Oahu, when returning, is going on a helicopter ride to see more of the island. Also I’d like to go snorkeling in the ocean, try surfboarding, and do some more beach hopping. I hope you guys like my Hawaii Travel Guide’s. I am looking forward to your thoughts! Mahalo, Joëlle

When thinking about summer our mind usually goes to beach, pool, ocean, and outdoor activities. At least most of the time right? Summer actually used to be my least favorite season, I call it sun lotion season. Now don’t get me wrong, when I go on vacation I usually like to go somewhere warm, but at least I’ll be able to jump into the ocean or pool to cool off. But we can’t do that everyday all day 🙂 The reason why summer used to be my least favorite season, is because my skin is so fair and I get sunburned very easily if I don’t protect myself well enough from the UV rays. I am always on a mission to find the best sunscreen – meaning it doesn’t have bad chemicals in it, doesn’t stain my white beach cover up yellow, doesn’t make me feel all greasy and sticky all day, and is waterproof. Protecting your skin from the strong UV rays is very important – it will help you to prevent early wrinkles and getting skin cancer. When I started to pack for my trip to Hawaii I noticed I needed new sunscreen to bring with me and I found Goddess Garden Organics at Target (it’s also available at Marshalls, TjMaxx and on their website). I did some research on it and decided to give it a try. It feels nice on your skin, it doesn’t feel too sticky or greasy at all, and it’s very moisturizing.

Goddess Garden Organics was founded by Nova Covington and Paul Halter, because their first daughter was allergic to certain chemicals used in traditional bath and cosmetic products. The pure minerals zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are the only active agents used for sun protection in the sunscreen. Their mission: “Goddess Garden was founded on two important principles: helping the planet and helping people safely enjoy the sun.” You can read more on their website 🙂

About my bathing suit, I really love one pieces! They don’t always leave the best tan lines, but which bathing suit really does? Since my skin is so fair I always try to stick to either bright colors, dark colors, or bright patterns. I found this bathing suit at TjMaxx, and I linked some similar ones for you. 🙂

What sunscreen do you use? Do you have any other recommendations? Please let me know in your comments below what you do to protect your skin from the sun 🙂 Aloha, Joëlle

PS: In the last picture I’m showing the Hawaii’s most beloved and universal hand gesture “Shaka”. There is no direct translation to it, but it’s supposed to stand for “hang loose” and it is commonly used to reflect the aloha spirit. There is even an emoji for this hand gesture!!!

OUTFIT DETAILS:

SUNSCREEN: Goddess Garden Organics ; BATHING SUIT: via TjMaxx (similar, similar, similar, similar, similar) ; SUNGLASSES Ray Ban ; HAT: Amazon