From left: Melly, Kathy, mr.uniQue, and Mary
Today, I want to start my personal travel journal — a space where I’ll share more in-depth stories from our journey and offer helpful tips for anyone planning to travel through the USA. I’ll highlight what to expect, what surprises may come along the way, and what to keep in mind if you’re dreaming of doing a road trip similar to ours.
It’s official: our three-week road trip through Florida has come to an end. As I write these lines, I’m sitting in seat 44C on an American Airlines flight, waiting for takeoff from Miami with destination London. As if the city wanted to make saying goodbye a little easier, the sky was overcast today — and on the way to the airport, it poured down with rain.
We take off, and I feel as though I’ve left behind a good friend—someone I’ve only really grown close to over the past three weeks. I know that might sound strange, but there wasn’t a single moment in Florida where I felt like a stranger. On the contrary, the USA feels like a second home to me. The few moments that slightly clouded the trip came more from within the group than from the places, the experiences, or the country itself. You could say I brought the problems from home with me. But more on that later. Now I have eight hours to try and put the events of the past three weeks into words and offer outsiders a glimpse into what we experienced—not just in terms of places and adventures, but also what happened within the group.
It’s the first time I’m reflecting on a trip in writing while we’re still flying—this time, somewhere over the Atlantic, heading back to Europe…
But let’s start from the very beginning.
It was 2012—September, to be precise—when I began thinking about doing something new and exciting, something different from the usual city trips across Germany where I would report from the ground and interview German celebrities. The idea came to me through a contact I had on Facebook: Patrick Pfeffer, a German expat living in Florida—in the northern coastal city of Panama City Beach, to be exact—where he successfully runs the biggest nightclub in the U.S.: “Club La Vela.”
We’d been loosely in touch for about two years—sporadic messages here and there. Since visiting him during our trip, I’ve now heard from him personally—and I’ll say this upfront: he had been following my blog with curiosity. It was his genuine interest in my blog that made everything else with him possible. I’d written to him saying that I’d love to visit sometime and experience the American Spring Break up close—just once in my life. His reply didn’t come instantly, of course—he’s always juggling a million things—but a few days later, I received a response. Despite getting hundreds of messages from Germany every week, his answer was personal and warm.
You have to understand—TV networks like RTL and ProSieben had been covering the American Spring Break for years, and of course, Patrick’s club was always part of the reports, which gave him a certain level of recognition back in Germany. That made his reaction to my message even more likable: I was warmly invited, and he said he’d be happy to see me in Panama City Beach.
That was the first step in making this trip a reality. When I later boldly asked if I could stay at his place during my visit, he said yes without hesitation—even though he had never done something like that before. I was speechless. It was a gesture of blind trust—and with that first highlight in place, I knew this trip had to happen.
That’s when the real planning began. One major highlight was already guaranteed, but I wanted to experience the entire state of Florida in all its facets. Gradually, the tour took shape: the trip would start in Miami, then head down over the Keys to the southernmost point of the U.S.—Key West. Next, through the Everglades to Naples on the Gulf of Mexico, up the coast via Tampa all the way north to Patrick and the Spring Break. Then, over to the Atlantic side—through Daytona Beach, the theme parks in Orlando, and finally back down to Miami, our departure and final stop.
Once the route had been roughly mapped out, I of course didn’t want to do the tour alone. So I asked around among friends to see who might be interested and excited to join me on this adventure. There were plenty of people who showed initial interest, but it always came down to issues like time and money that ultimately got in the way. When I got fed up with all the back and forth, I had the idea to use Facebook as a kind of bulletin board and actively call out to anyone who might want to join this unusual tour. Without going too much into detail about this recruitment method, by the end of October, three women had come forward who wanted to accompany me.
Okay, I can already hear the question:
“Why three women?”
Did I specifically want to take three women with me? To nip any moral judgment in the bud, let me say in my defense: “I was never looking for women to join me — I was looking for travel companions.” Why only women responded is a mystery. Maybe it was due to my irresistible charm (cue gag reflex lol), but more likely it’s because women simply trusted me more to pull off a tour like this than men did. But honestly, I can’t say for sure. Whatever the reason, it ended up being three women — and I can already say, there were definitely moments where I regretted that.
But back to those three women, who I had already seen as the confirmed team by the end of October. In the end, it didn’t work out with them. At least two of them dropped out — one due to personal reasons, and the other because she was about to start her own business and needed the money for that instead. And suddenly, I was back to square one, alone again with Melly from Husum, even though I had thought the group was set and I could finally focus solely on planning the trip. As the saying goes: Spoke too soon. The search for two new travel companions began all over again.
To wrap up this tale of the search and its outcome: it wasn’t until the end of January 2013 — just one month before the trip — that the final travel crew was confirmed. Melanie (Melly) from Husum was the first to book the flight with me back in late December. Then came Katharina (Kathy) from the Ruhr area in early January. And finally, I chose Marina, also from Husum — Melly’s best friend. But that decision would not go unpunished on the tour. Just like Gremlins come with rules to avoid disaster, so does a trip like this: Never bring two best friends along in a small group. I’ll go into more detail on what I mean by that later in the journey.
At that point, all the flights were booked, the rental car reserved, and the first two nights secured.
The Journey Begins
On February 28, 2013, the adventure finally began. The flight with British Airways wasn’t scheduled to depart until the next morning at 7:10 a.m. from Düsseldorf to London, but the evening before, the two prayer sisters Melly and Mary had already arrived from Husum so we could head to the airport together in the middle of the night.
I didn’t really get much sleep. The two girls crashed on my couch — one of them fell asleep instantly, while the other was busy with her iPhone until 4 a.m., seemingly having an active conversation on WhatsApp. I think I lay down for about an hour too, but I was way too excited to risk missing the pre-booked taxi.
At 4:30 a.m., the taxi arrived and took us to the central station, from where we took the S-Bahn straight to the airport. Once we got there, we met up with Kathy — the third member of our little group — and for the first time, the full crew was finally together in real life.
On the way from Düsseldorf to London.
London Heathrow – Back then, even waiting was fun here.
While waiting, the girls are having fun with me… *watch out, this could start a war!!
British Airways Flight
At that time of day, checking in and going through security was actually a pleasure. We all seemed a bit tired, but more in the way that comes from being wide awake and excited about what’s ahead. Then, at last, flight BA0935 took off from Düsseldorf to London. There’s not much to say about this flight—except that Melly and Mary were already deep in dreamland onboard, the crew was stiff as a board, and the snack left much to be desired. Looking back, we were lucky it was just a short hop and not the long haul from London to Miami.
A short layover in London that felt like an eternity…
We arrived at London Heathrow after two hours, only to be greeted by a proper walking tour through one of the largest airports in the world. To reach the American Airlines transfer terminal (Terminal 1), we even had to take a shuttle bus for part of the way to continue our journey. At Terminal 1, the second security check of the day awaited us. While Melly and Mary were checked by an Indian security officer wearing a turban, things were far less eventful for Kathy and me. No issues at all. That would’ve reflected poorly on Düsseldorf if we had suddenly raised any red flags. Everything was fine.
As varied and exciting as the trip had been so far, it now turned dull and tedious. We had to wait three hours for our next flight. So, there we were, sitting in the departure area—with no British pounds, of course—it was noisy, and time passed in slow motion, or rather, not at all. We just hoped we could finally board our next flight soon. If there had been free Wi-Fi, things would’ve been only half as bad. For the first time, we felt a twinge of envy watching others browse the internet on their smartphones, tablets, or laptops. These are the moments when digital withdrawal symptoms really start to kick in. We talked to each other or tried to sleep.
And finally—it was time. The gate for our flight BA1528 with American Airlines was announced, and we felt a wave of relief. It was finally moving forward. When we got to the gate, Melly had the pleasure of experiencing what a personal baggage inspection really means—firsthand.
Apparently, she had been the most conspicuous one in our group. Her entire trolley was searched by two British officers on a separate table in front of the other passengers. With great interest, we and a few other passengers who hadn’t boarded yet followed the spectacle. After a few minutes, it became clear to the officers that this blonde woman posed no threat—at least none that could be dangerous to life or limb. We were cleared for boarding.
After taking our seats in the rear section of the plane, the captain informed us a few minutes later that our departure might be delayed by 20 to 30 minutes due to a traffic jam of numerous planes on the way to the runway. But then, finally, the Boeing took off towards Miami. We were truly relieved that we no longer had to wait around awkwardly in the airport’s waiting area and could now sit back and relax as we drew closer and closer to our destination. At last, the first round of drinks made its way down the aisle.
Our friendly flight attendants from the American Airlines plane.
Here, I want to take the opportunity to simply praise the staff of American Airlines. They were always incredibly friendly, up for every joke, threw in some of their own lines, and created a fantastic atmosphere that truly made you enjoy flying.
It didn’t take long before we befriended one of the stewards, who quickly became our personal go-to guy. Whenever we were thirsty or hungry again, we just walked over to him, and he’d hand us something to drink or eat without hesitation.
American Airlines hands out the big cans—not the typical miniature ones you usually get on domestic flights or with British Airways. We even started hoarding them because we got so many that we always had a drink within arm’s reach if we got thirsty.
I have to admit, I’ve never arrived at a destination so full and so not-thirsty as I did on this flight. Well done, American Airlines!
After 9 hours of flying, the coast of Miami finally came into view. What a feeling.
Finally, we made it to Miami – or did we?
Don’t celebrate too soon, because now the real immigration marathon begins… At last, we had reached our destination, and I felt a flutter in my stomach – like coming home. It’s hard to describe, but a wave of happiness washed over me. Escaping the cold of Germany, we at least landed in milder temperatures, though not quite the sunny weather we had hoped for. As we landed, there was a light drizzle and it was only about 20 degrees Celsius – but hey, that’s 20 degrees more than in Germany. 😉
After leaving the plane and saying personal goodbyes to most of the American Airlines crew, the real ordeal began: the horror of passport control. On the flight, we had already filled out a flyer with key entry info that we had to hand over at passport check. Then we entered the hall of doom – filled with countless checkpoints and officers in booths who could decide your fate: entry granted or denied. It was basically a matter of life or death.
But before we could reach any checkpoint, we had to inch our way forward in snaking lines with the rest of the passengers – snail-paced and soul-draining. It felt a bit like being at an amusement park, where you have to wind through pre-structured corridors before finally reaching the ride.
The air was hot and stuffy. Apparently, breathing wasn’t a top priority for those who worked here all day. We weren’t just tired – we were sweaty, exhausted, and slightly irritable. Melly, on the other hand, used the wait to flirt via eye contact with one of the officers. Then she asked us if she should give him her number or not.
All I could picture was: we’re thousands of kilometers from home, about to head off on a three-week trip… makes so much sense to exchange numbers right now. But Melly didn’t care – suddenly she disappeared, and two or three minutes later, she came back beaming. Mission accomplished. Numbers exchanged. Congratulations.
Then it was my turn. Melly and Mary had already passed and had been deemed worthy of entering the USA. Well, if they got through, surely I wouldn’t be rejected.
I stepped up to the officer, handed him my passport and the completed form, and waited to see what would happen. Everything seemed to be in order. I gave my fingerprints, a photo was taken – one I hope to never lay eyes on, given how wrecked I looked – but finally, the long-awaited stamp was placed into my passport. I was officially allowed to enter.
I wanted to wait just behind the checkpoint for Kathy, who was the last of us still in line. I had already lost sight of Melly and Mary – not even their shadows remained – but I thought I’d at least wait for the final member of our group. That turned out to be a miscalculation.
Suddenly, a Black officer appeared in front of me and asked, “Do you have your passport?”
Reflexively, I replied, “Yes!”
Then, in a tone that would’ve fit perfectly in a military barracks, he barked:
“Then mooooove on, move on!!”
Apparently, waiting here wasn’t allowed.
I turned the next corner, where I was finally free to wait for Kathy without getting scolded. Together, we made our way to the baggage claim.
By then, the carousel wasn’t even running anymore. All the luggage from our flight was scattered around it.
Now came the next challenge:
Trunk Tetris – fun for the whole family!
A trunk of terror
Finally found, the four of us made our way to the exit and then to the People Mover, which was supposed to take us to the “Rental Car Center” where we would finally get our long-awaited rental car. There, we had to wait again at the Hertz counter, but then—finally—I had everything in my hands (keys and documents), and we could take the elevator to our car, or at least to where it was supposed to be: a Chrysler Equinox.
Once there, the next challenge awaited us: loading the luggage into the car. And as it turned out, it was a tight squeeze—even one suitcase had to go on the back seat. Thank God Kathy had brought a small suitcase. It fit there perfectly. After 15 minutes, everything was packed, the GPS was unpacked (we had bought one in Germany and brought it with us—definitely cheaper for a trip of this length [PRO TIP!!]), mounted, and turned on.
After entering the address of our Holiday Inn Express hotel, we were finally ready to go. We left the massive parking garage and drove off into the darkness and Miami’s rush hour traffic… we had finally arrived… and our road trip could begin!
What happened next—how we spent our first night, how the trip took us across the Florida Keys to Key West and back into the Everglades… you’ll find out in the next part of my travel diary.
