Halli Hallo

Hello, dear classmates!

My name is Hanna Hupfeld, I am 25 years old and I am an international transfer student from Germany. I study accounting and live in Union Square, a wonderful ten minute walk from school away. I moved to New York City exactly five years ago as an au pair, an international nanny. After graduating from high school, I was about to get trained as a chef in a small castle on top of a small hill that you could see from my living room window. Since I love arts and the art of cooking this seemed like a wonderful job for me, but as live goes on one’s plans change. I did not want to work right after school and so I decided to go to the US on my own for a year, maximum two. So I left my family behind and moved from my 1,045 souls town to the city that never sleeps. With my second host family and also met my second family. They offered me to stay with them after my au pair job was finished, if I wanted to study and stay in New York. And so I did!

Sunday, two weeks ago I celebrated my five year anniversary in New York and I am sure that I will be staying here for a little while longer. Not only to finish my school, but also to enjoy this terribly exciting life in Manhattan. My passion is of course still for food and the arts. I am a passionate hobby painter and I enjoy drawing and sculpting.  Whenever a friend or family member’s  birthday or anniversary is coming up, I am getting busy making a present instead of simply buying one (unless, they told me I should buy them something in specific).

Although, I love living in the city, I am sad that I cannot follow all my hobbies and favorite activities here as I did back home in Germany. I love to drive fast German cars and Italian motorcycles. Here in the city, both is mainly annoying, too dangerous, and of course too expensive. The other main activity that I miss the most is participating in the volunteer fire department. In my home town, I joined the youth fire department with the age of 13 and got my first official rank by the age of 18. I am still a member in my town’s department, but sadly only passive.

I am very sure that giving up being with my family and some of my hobbies will pay off in the future when I have earned my degree and start real life in Manhattan.