There are no palm trees in Germany. That sounds obvious but it hits differently when you have lived in both places. Every time I come back from a trip now, the moment I see the palm trees outside the window on approach I know I am home. Not the home I grew up in. The new one. California does that to you.

This shot is from Pismo Beach pier, taken in November 2025. What always draws my eye first is the palms against that golden coast light, the way the sand holds the color of the whole afternoon. A true California picture.

What makes this one mean more to me is what was going on at the time. My immigration journey has not been easy. Getting to where I am took years of hard work but also a lot of luck. Lottery draws, close calls finding a new job within tight visa deadlines, and on top of all that, COVID hit right as I was navigating one of the hardest stretches of that process. The green card application I had just submitted is the final step of all of it. My company was also getting unstable at the time, and losing my job would have meant a race against time to find something new before I would have had to leave the country. My girlfriend and I took the weekend to get away from all of it.

That trip ended up being exactly what I needed. It helped me clear my mind and approach everything that was coming with a better headspace. I came back with mental fortitude. Which was lucky, because layoffs happened the week after we got back. That whole chapter was a story in itself. But standing on that pier, none of that had happened yet. Just palm trees, golden sand, and a few hours of peace. I have tried to take everything as a blessing, even the small things like seeing palm trees and knowing I am home. Always looking for the positive, always trying to appreciate what is right in front of me. That mindset, more than anything, is what has kept my mental health strong through all of it.