In a hangar filled with helicopters, I am strapped in. In a harness, including a clip on the back. This clips me to the inside of one of these flying machines. ‘So we don't fall out,’ I am assured. I just watched a short intro and safety video.

But only when we get on the golf cart towards the helicopter does it sink in. With minus a thousand, we have decided to hover above New York. The doors remain open. The only thing I have to do is turn after takeoff and hang out of that open door. I have my phone in my right hand, my camera in my left. The propellers are spinning faster and faster. And before I know it, we are heading towards New York. The lights of the city are getting closer. My little legs are now dangling neatly above the ground, out of the side of a helicopter. I am so scared. But I sternly tell myself: no whining. This is insane.

And insane it is. I tell myself not to grab the guide like a trembling mouse. I stay seated with my legs in the air. I lean forward and fully trust that clip. And then we are hovering above the Freedom Tower. From my new home, I can see the tower. The idea that I am hanging up there, floating and not moving, is incomprehensible. What an experience. Thank you, FlyNYON.

I speak to someone who has researched happiness. One of the things he tells me is that money itself does not make you happy, but once money can be converted into experiences, it does. Additionally, I believe it is important to step out of your comfortable life every now and then. It gives you a boost, a different perspective on things. For one person, that is a trip to Colombia, for another, it is hanging out of a helicopter. But it can certainly also be smaller things. The main message is: go for something different. Because from my own experience, I can say: I know for sure, creating experiences is what makes or breaks life. And especially together with your loved one. So, I had to share that.

The snow is pouring from the sky. The more Upstate, the more centimeters there are and the slower the odometer goes. Together with my friend B, we are heading towards the Catskills, for among other things Juice Brothers and food photography. We need to be in the woods. But before we arrive, we take an hour detour. We are on set all day and learn that bears hide in these woods. We run through the snow, wonderful! We are informed that the hotel is empty, the entire staff is going home, and we are therefore alone in a gigantic traditionally Dutch ‘manor’. You understand: we predict after this phone call that we will not sleep a wink.

A bottle of wine awaits us at the reception. After a hellish ride through the snowy woods and mountains, we end up in an empty hotel. In the background, an open music box plays. The oh-so-cute hotel is a horror house by moonlight. With trembling knees and wide eyes from fear, we walk through. The hotel manager is sitting in the large leather chair by the fireplace. He stays. He stays! We let out a sigh. The knees stop shaking and the wide eyes also return to calm. After the bottle of wine, we peacefully fall asleep. And we wake up to a window overlooking a winter fairy tale.

Back in Brooklyn. Our Bluetje is happy again. I get macarons at the Bake Shop. Good place to work. And those macarons... They are divine!