Day 1 - New York - Pennsylvania

(Ursula) Today begins an exciting part of our lives.

Our car is a 1972 WV Westfalia Camper. The crew is my husband Heinz (29), me-Ursula (25), and my twin brother Wally.

We are starting a journey through North, Central, and South America, following more or less what’s called the Pan-American Highway. After this journey, we plan to live in New Zealand, where Heinz has a job promised in Christchurch.

Today’s departure from Queens was a little later than planned. Our tiny apartment looked so peaceful, friendly, and clean when I made the last rounds and locked the front door.

With a fully packed camper (Heinz stowed everything neatly and securely), we crossed the ever-so-spectacular Queensboro Bridge and stopped at Bucherer Jewelers on 5th Avenue to say our last goodbyes to our Swiss friends.

It was a bright, sunny day. The streets of Manhattan were crowded as usual as we drove in the direction of the Lincoln Tunnel. The farewell from NYC could not have been more typical. Over on the New Jersey side, we stopped for a moment and enjoyed the spectacular view of Manhattan with the newly erected World Trade Center one last time. It was an emotional moment!

Route 80 then took us in the direction of Chicago. We drove through the Pennsylvania Dutch country and found a campground for our first overnight stay.

My twin brother Wally and I are a quarter century old today. We celebrate this occasion by sharing a bottle of Lancers Rosé with dinner.Read more