Hi my lovely readers!

The United States of America is one of my favourite countries in the world. All the madness aside that’s going on at the moment, it’s a country that has everything.

The best theme parks, super tasty food, really nice and helpful folks, hot and cold weather, some of the best National Parks in the world, history, cruises and the list goes on.

I had the pleasure of living in the US as an exchange student for one year and it was the best year of my life. I simply love this country and there are always a few things that I do and eat literally every single time I visit.

Here are my favourite things I do every single time I visit the US.

EAT HOT DOGS AND CORN DOGS

I love, love, love a good hot dog. The hot dogs in the US from the street vendors with that super tasty relish and crispy onions on the top are just the best.

And corn dogs, hmmm. The first time I got introduced to corn dogs was through my host family back in 2006. If anyone doesn’t know what a corn dog is, it’s a hot dog sausage skewered on as stick, dipped and fully covered in corn batter and then fried. It’s best eaten with mustard and sooo tasty.

Just writing about those foods makes me want them!

VISIT A THEME PARK

The US has the best theme parks, no question and I always look for one close by to where I go to incorporate it into my trip. The Americans just know how to create that excitement, thrill and magic and the parks always look very inviting.

Here in Europe we just are missing something. The parks are fun, but they aren’t really that special in my opinion.

I’ve been to several Six Flags Parks such as Six Flags over Texas and over Georgia, Disneyland, Disney World, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Universal, Aqauatica and the list goes on.

I’m a theme park junky and I can’t wait to head back to them!

GO TO THE MALL

The malls are massive in the US and some of them are so big, you can easily spend an entire day or in fact two in them.

When I was little, my parents would pack one suitcase to go to the US and we would come back with four or five. I’m not kidding. In the early 90s we didn’t have a lot of the cool electronics and fashionable clothes in Germany. Plus everything was cheaper back then.

Of course this isn’t the case necessarily anymore, although it still applies to a few items and electronics. Still, going to the mall in the US is always a fun and enjoyable day out and there are a few brands that we don’t have here in Europe that I always buy from over there.

Also, I love eating in malls. I love walking around in the food courts and choosing what I should have for lunch of all those unhealthy food options. 😉 My first encounter with Five Guys was in a mall for example. Back then I was wondering why we don’t have them in Europe. Now they are here.

ICED MOCHA AND 7 ELEVEN

There is a story behind the iced mocha, which evolves around saving my life. My partner and I got lost one time and we didn’t have anything to drink with us and it was super hot.

Then we came across a 7 Eleven and went for the biggest drink we could find and decided to go for an iced mocha. It was huge and got us rehydrated. Ever since this day we have at least one iced mocha when we visit the US.

And of course 7 Eleven is everywhere. We mostly go shopping there as well for food and drinks when we are making our own food or just need to grab a bite and some snacks.

BUY SOMETHING FROM BATH AND BODY WORKS

I came across this shop when I lived in the US and I adore their products. They have a big variety of products and they just smell amazing. They are a lot cheaper, too than for instance Lush or the Body Shop.

If I find one, I will go in and stock up big times. I once bought around 10 different body mists and perfumes that lasted me for a good two years or so. But I just couldn’t help myself.

TAKE A CRUISE

Over the last years, I literally booked a holiday to the US to be able to take a cruise with Carnival. My partner and I have cruised with Carnival a few times now and we just love it.

A few years ago they were mainly cruising around the US as they cater for the American market. Hence, we had to fly to the US to cruise with them. Now, they are expanding their destination offering and also cruise around Europe. Lucky for us.

I booked a holiday to New York to take a cruise and I booked a holiday to Texas and then took a cruise from Galveston. Alaska is on my list for sure and I wouldn’t mind going back to the Caribbean.

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Is there anything that you look forward to or do when you visit a destination multiple times?