Last Year in the US

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After spending a couple of weeks in Europe with our families, we came back with recharged energies and reserves of heat, that we really need with the cold temperatures that were waiting for us in Michigan.

2015 will be the last year that we spend in the United States. We have made some trips around, but the States are huge and have so much to offer, that we really need to start making a list of things to do before moving back to Europe.

But it is not only about visiting new places. Also some experiences are worth living in the States. Festivities like the 4th of July or Thanksgiving will be well remembered by us, or good radio stations like NPR will be missed. Because every place where you live offers some things that are just great, and would be perfect to have them somewhere else. For this reason it is important to squeeze them, to experience them while you can, before it is too late.

I will list a couple of things, kind of a bucket list of plans to fulfill this year, . Hopefully at the end of the year the revision will show that all of them were done at least once. Because we will come back, but who knows when??

1. Visit the Mammoth Caves in Kentucky. These subterranean tunnels are the longest passage systems in the world.

2. Visit the Upper Peninsula (UP) in Michigan. It should be great in summer, but also winter must be beautiful in the northern area. Let's see if we have the guts to travel where it is even colder than home...

3. A last visit to Chicago, to enjoy great music, museums and food.

4. Enjoy a music event in Detroit. It may be in the opera, or in any of the many Jazz & Blues places, or even the Motown museum... We should attend as many events as we can while we are living so close so a musical iconic city.

5. Last fall with reds and yellows: Fall is the most beautiful station in this area and adjacent states. I wish we can enjoy the landscapes one more time, with the vivid colors and still mild temperatures, before the last winter hits us.

6. Go to a supermarket at 3 AM: Nowhere like America has so many services open 24 h every day of the year. It is also amazing to visit a supermarket at late hours, especially because very interesting people do groceries at that time :)

7. Get a meal from a drive-through: This country has conveniently designed many services around a car. Nowadays, you can not only get your food without stepping out of your car, you can also get your money from the bank, get your medication from the pharmacy, and yes, even get a bottle of alcohol from a liquor store.

8. Get an "American-style" Milkshake: This is just a classical, seen in so many movies, that we just have to try it in a typical diner before leaving the country.

9. Visit the Shinola workshop: This Detroit-based watch maker is one of the many businesses trying to revive the city out of bankruptcy. It would be great to see a day in the factory.

10. Hawaii: This is the big bonus of the list. Will we be able to make the dream trip to Hawaii?

A year goes by very fast, let's see how many things we got to do at the end on 2015.

Thanks for reading,

Lita & Andres