20.06.2025 – The suitcase is packed, but it’s not going straight home! Last week, I not only started a new chapter, but also my post-graduation trip with my family and Meli around the East Coast. Together we travelled through stunning views in Acadia, slow mornings in Cape Cod, the vibrant streets of NYC, and familiar corners in Cambridge and Boston.
Travelling as a Mirror
Traveling is more than seeing one stunning place after another. Do you know that feeling when you’re supposed to slow down, but your mind still carries your whole past and future alongside the hand luggage? This is what the beginning of this trip felt like. I learned that traveling is living. We pack our memories, experiences, insecurities, and feelings and take them wherever we go. I was still holding the stress and speed of the previous weeks. It took me time to slow down, to soften, to breathe. But that’s the gift of traveling (particularly with family). Every experience at the places you visit is like a mirror of yourself and what you carry at that moment.
What helped me there? Patience with myself, understanding, and NATURE!!
Nature First – My Favorite Spots at Acadia National Park
Acadia was the best possible first stop for me to recharge. Nature, to me, is an immense playground. There’s sand to dig our feet into, water – calm and wild – to swim in, hiking trails leading to jaw-dropping views, and sunrises to absorb. Living in a “manmade playground” in a city couldn’t quite live up to that. I realized I not only need but I breathe nature.
If you ever end up going to Acadia (highly recommend!) definitely check out some of my favorite spots:
- Beehive Trail: stunning views, fun to hike up to, bring picnic, go earlier in the day, it might be less crowded
- Thunder Hole: Water splashes out of a carved-out inlet. It’s particularly fun after rain. Also, come early—don’t be scared to get wet!
- Bubble Rock Trail: easy hike with great view over Jordan Pond
Charming Stops: Rockport & Cape Cod
After a short stop in Rockport – what a lovely little town (!), and relaxing beach days in Cape Cod, we went to New York City.
I had already seen many of the tourist attractions we went to before, but getting a tour by my cousin Phil and Moni was a complete next level, and I got so many insights about the buildings, culture, art, and the history behind them. Together we admired the skyline of NYC on the Edge, watched Aladdin on Broadway, enjoyed a delicious Ramen, and sipped on our coffee while walking the High Line.
Weekly High, Low, Buffalo & Lessons Learned
High: Having family here, watching sunrises, seeing so many incredibly stunning places, Acadia, visiting Moni & Phil in NYC
Low: Juggling the post-graduation tasks, packing up and saying good bye to my prior life and closest friends from Harvard while already with one foot out the door on the family trip was quite a challenge
Buffalo: I was unaware of HOW much plastic is used in restaurants. It felt special and was a highlight to get actual cups, plates, and cutlery
Lessons Learned: You can plan things only to a certain extent. While you can control your own response to challenges, you can’t control how others experience those situations
Now I’m already on my next trip in Wyoming – stay tuned for next week’s post!
Until then,
lots of love and …liebe Grüße!