I've never been away from my parents for long. Last month I turned 18. My aunt, Larissa, has lived in New York for twenty years. She married an American. It all started when she did a year abroad as an au pair. Then she met Danny. She fell in love and stayed. Together they own a sizeable streetwear shop.

It's a given for her that my gap year in America will be financed through her. But I don't want to rely on her shop alone, so I also want to teach language lessons. I want to get as much out of this time as I can. Meet people and pass my talent for languages on to others. I speak five different languages fluently.

My mother is Spanish and my father is French. So I grew up with three languages, so to speak. Then I picked up Italian just for fun. I'd also like to earn money with translations. On the world wide web, that shouldn't be a problem.

A gap year in America is no walk in the park, but I feel up to the challenge.

I love the canyons of skyscrapers

So far I've been to New York five times. I can barely remember my first visit at the age of three, but I remember the later ones. As a child, the streets seemed far more gigantic to me. I never imagined I would one day do a gap year in America. The idea suddenly came to me and I wrote to Larissa. My parents weren't entirely thrilled, since Larissa is a very cool woman who takes a lot of things pretty casually in their eyes.

Parents, right? They're always worried about their girls. I made my decision half a year ago and now it's time to make it happen. I'll be living with Danny and Larissa. They have a big apartment and no kids. The guest room is more or less ready for me.

Gap year in America

What I'll definitely miss!

I'll miss my friends and my dance studio. I love to dance. It's my second passion after languages. During my gap year in America I'll of course look for a new studio. Taking classes at a dance school in New York has to be a dream!

Getting to do a gap year in America and dance in New York at the same time. My friends will envy me. I'll keep a diary and I want to start a blog online. Let others be part of my life. My experiences should help others find their feet in New York as newcomers from abroad.

It would be great if my photos and stories go over well on Insta and Facebook. Now it's time to pack. In just one week I'll be off. I can hardly wait!