Moonshot, Florida

What is Moonshot

Moonshot is another HackClub event, where you make a project with 75+ hours.
You get to go to Orlando, Florida, Universal Studios, and take a tour at Kennedy Space Center.

What is HackClub

Hack Club is a non-profit that encourages teenagers to code.
They host events where you get prizes for shipping personal projects.

We got what we need!

For Moonshot, me and Ruben Straks made a project for school. A Disco Prullenbak (trash bin).
It is a big blue bin where, as soon as you throw something in, music starts playing, LEDs start dancing, a smoke machine goes off, and a disco ball spins.

Along with some other projects, I got enough hours to come.

It’s official!

I have got the tickets, post-event accommodation, hotels in Orlando and Miami, and a nice layover in New York during Christmas.
This is going to be amazing. It still does not fully feel real.

First Orlando

12 Dec. First, we arrive in Orlando and meet 100 other HackClubbers. In Orlando we go to Universal Studios and Kennedy Space Center. If we are lucky, we might witness a rocket launch.

After that, we will go to the Titanic museum and just experience Orlando.

Then comes Miami

16 Dec. After the main HackClub event is over, I continue the trip south to Miami.
The hotel is on South Beach, with an ideal location. A couple of minutes from the beach and close to a bus stop. I will stay there for 7–8 days.

Final destination

24 Dec. After all that exciting stuff, I take an early flight to New York.
I arrive around 5pm and, since it is the last stop, try to see some of the hotspots on the 25th. Then I leave the country around 9pm and get back home on the 26th at 10:30.

Summary

12–16 Dec, Orlando
16–24 Dec, Miami
24–25 Dec, New York

Almost There

Today really felt like the beginning of everything. The bags are packed, chargers checked, documents triple-checked. School tomorrow feels almost unreal knowing that right after, we leave.

Almost Unreal

I can almost taste it. Just pure excitement. Thinking about Florida, NASA, Miami beaches, and New York lights.
It still does not fully feel real that this is actually happening.

That Restless Feeling

It is that mix of excitement and nervous energy. Hard to focus on anything. Hard to sit still. Everything feels like it is on pause until the moment we step on that plane.

Two more days.

Morning Chaos

I woke up about 30 minutes before I had to leave. No slow start. Just grabbing the last things, rushing out the door, and driving straight to Schiphol.

I got through the airport, boarded the plane, and just like that, the trip officially started.

The Flight

The flight was long. About 10 hours. I passed the time by sleeping. Then sleeping some more. Somewhere in between, I watched the flight map crawl across the ocean and tried to make the hours disappear.

Honestly, it went by faster than expected.

We Landed

After landing, we looked around for the adult picking us up. That was Jared. We talked for a bit until Moukal arrived, and then the four of us took an Uber to the hotel.

Food Before Anything Else

First stop after arriving was the dining hall. I was not even that hungry, but somehow still ended up with way too much food. Travel does that. You tell yourself you are just going to grab something small, and ten minutes later there is cake involved.

It was impressive.

Opening Ceremony

After checking in and feeling extremely tired, we went straight back down for the opening ceremony. This is where they explained the rules, the schedule, and what the next few days would look like.

One rule that will be important for tomorrow's blog. We are not allowed to leave the hotel or venue.

The Project Prompt

That night, our team picked three notes. Each note had one word on it. Together, they formed the theme for our project.

We got:

• Cryptic message
• Fail
• Overheated laptop

The Idea

We decided to make a word game. You unscramble words and sentences. Every time you lose a life, your score multiplier goes up. So the whole game becomes a balance between playing it safe or taking risks.

Not bad for day one.

Morning

I woke up around 10am, with Universal Studios planned for later that day. For lunch, we were given $20 and some free time before leaving.

With a few hours to spare, I thought it would be fine to quickly grab food off-site.

That assumption turned out to be wrong.

What Went Wrong

I misunderstood the boundaries around leaving the venue. Even though waivers allowed unsupervised time during specific activities, I overlooked the rule that we were not allowed to leave the hotel outside of those moments.

That part is on me.

Back at the Hotel

I returned as soon as I was asked to and spoke with the organizers. Because I had left the venue, I was told I could not join the Universal Studios outing and needed to stay in my room and remain reachable.

What bothered me was not just the consequence, but how it felt in the moment.

Where the Frustration Set In

What made it hard was that the response felt focused on me personally. I was told I needed to be more careful about following the rules. I was told that if it were Graham’s decision alone, I would have been sent home that same day.

That hit hard.

In that moment it stopped feeling like a mistake and started feeling personal.

How It Felt

I could not shake the feeling that this might not have been just about that day. At the time I wondered whether my past issues within Hack Club played a role in how quickly things escalated.

I owned the mistake. But in that moment, being the focus of the conversation felt unfair to me.

Reflection

Rules matter. I understand that. But so does fairness.

This day left me frustrated, confused, and honestly pretty hurt. Not because of Universal Studios. But because of how fast trust seemed to disappear.

Lesson learned.

Morning Talk

I woke up to a DM from Graham saying he wanted to talk after breakfast. That already set the tone for the day.

Downstairs, he explained that Zach had given Graham and Emma full authority to decide consequences after yesterday. I was told the situation had been taken very seriously, and that several factors played into the decision to let me stay for the hackathon.

They added one more condition. If they did not hear from Csaba that I had been a good teammate by the end, I would be sent home.

That sat heavy.

Kennedy Space Center

After that conversation, we got ready and took the bus to Kennedy Space Center.

Once we arrived, everything shifted. We had full access to the visitor complex, and honestly, it was incredible. Walking around rockets, exhibits, and history helped clear my head.

Seeing the Saturn V in person was unreal. Photos do not do it justice. Standing underneath it, I genuinely could not wrap my head around how massive it is.

Too Much From the Gift Shop

Of course, we exited through the gift shop. And of course, we bought way too much. Worth it.

Back and Confused

After heading back with Hack Club, we found a place to eat near the hotel. After that, we were told we were allowed to walk back on our own.

That part felt a bit confusing at the time. Earlier we were not allowed to leave the hotel briefly during the day, yet now we were allowed to walk back alone at night.

It did not make much sense.

Morning Rush

We woke up way too late and skipped breakfast again. We packed our bags, double-checked everything, checked out, and went straight downstairs to the venue.

It was presentation day.

Demo Time

We built a game and wanted to make the demo interactive. The idea was to let people play and give something to the top three scores.

That idea came from Csaba, who still had prizes from a previous Daydream event he hosted. It worked surprisingly well and made the demo feel fun instead of stiff.

Leaving Orlando

After everything wrapped up, we walked to the next hotel. Then walked some more. Took another detour. Eventually, we ended up at our hotel and finally slept.

Night Mission

Around midnight, we went to downtown Orlando. Then at 1:30am, we drove for about an hour toward Cape Canaveral.

Jetty Park was closed, so we stopped at Banana Creek instead.

Atlas V

From there, we had an amazing view of the Atlas V rocket. Seeing it lit up in the dark was surreal. Quiet, massive, and powerful.

Around 5am, we arrived back at the Cambria Hotel in Orlando.

Exhausted. But glad we went.

Leaving Orlando

I woke up around 10am and immediately felt how tired I still was.

After a warm shower, I started packing. That is when I realized I had about ten minutes before checkout. Shoes in my hands, bag half-zipped, I made it downstairs at exactly 11am.

Just in time.

One Last Stop

I stored my bag at reception and took a bus to Florida Mall. I shopped. Hard.

I scored two new pairs of shorts and a white shirt that I immediately ruined by spilling boba on it. Classic.

The Journey South

After grabbing my bag, I barely made it to the bus to Miami. That FlixBus was easily one of the sketchiest vehicles I have ever been on.

I was sitting next to an emergency window. Half-open. While driving full speed. Cold air blasting in. The window shaking like it might give up at any moment.

Funny in the moment. A little less funny when you realize you still have hours to go.

Arrival

Once I arrived, I took bus 150. The payment machine was broken, so the ride was free. A small win.

Check-in took a while, but once I finally got into my room, I laid down and instantly fell asleep.

Orlando was officially over. Next up: Miami. Alone this time.

A Slow Morning

I woke up feeling refreshed for the first time in days. Around noon, I went out to get breakfast. I had barely eaten properly in over 24 hours.

I was craving real food.

Pancake Mission

I found a place called Craft and ordered American pancakes. And honestly? Best breakfast I have had in a long time. No contest.

That meal alone already made Miami feel different.

Beach and Target

After breakfast, I walked along the beach for a bit. Just sitting, watching the ocean, letting everything slow down.

Later, I went to Target. Because of course I did.

Downtown Miami

That evening, I headed to downtown Miami and had dinner at a small Italian restaurant. Nothing fancy. Just good food and a relaxed vibe.

The day went by fast. In a good way.

The Robots

On the way back, I noticed something strange. Delivery robots. Everywhere.

They were driving around on the sidewalks like it was completely normal. Apparently, it is.

Miami already feels unreal.

Woke Up Hot

This morning was unbearably hot. The kind of heat where you feel like you are melting the second you step outside.

No complaints though. This is Miami.

Downtown Errand

I went to downtown Miami to find a currency exchange. Got some cash, walked around a bit, and very quickly decided on one thing.

I needed to swim.

South Beach Mode

I headed back to South Beach and fully committed to doing nothing else.

No plans.
No rush.
Just sun, water, and sand.

I stayed there the entire day and only made my way back at night, completely covered in sand and absolutely exhausted.

The Sand

At one point, I was laying down doing absolutely nothing, and somehow still ended up covered in sand.

That is the thing about beach days. You do not even need to do anything. The sand just wins.

I swam for a long time until the sun started going down.

Late Night Wind Down

I got back to the hotel late, slept for a couple of hours, and then woke up again to watch a movie.

Of all things, Despicable Me 2.
I ate some chips in bed and just laid there.

After starting movies on other nights and never finishing them, I actually watched this one all the way through.

A perfect end to a very Miami day.

A Different Plan

Today I decided to do something other than the beach.
I wanted to explore more of Miami itself.

Before heading out, I stopped at Target to get some more snacks for the evening.

Wynwood

After that, I took the bus to Wynwood.
The area is full of massive murals, graffiti, and street art. Every wall feels intentional. It is loud, creative, and constantly moving.

I walked around for a long time, just looking at the art and soaking in the atmosphere.

Little Havana

Later, I headed toward Little Havana. The buses here are not great, so after waiting way too long, I gave up and booked an Uber.

I walked through the streets, browsed some shops, and listened to Cuban music playing everywhere. I still have not tried the famous Cuban sandwiches, unfortunately.

I did have some really good pizza though.

Ending the Day

After a long day of walking and exploring, I headed back to the hotel and watched a movie before bed.

A calm ending to a full day.

Back to the Beach

I woke up late again. Around midday.
The first thing I did was go straight to the beach.

There is something about just laying there, listening to the waves, and feeling the warmth that never gets old.

Bayside Marketplace

After the beach, I went to Bayside Marketplace in downtown Miami.
Lots of small gift shops, souvenirs, and pure tourist chaos.

Yes, I bought a MAGA hat.
Purely as a joke. And to show my friends that its real. I dont want to talk politcs in my blog

Chili’s Mission

There was a Chili’s nearby, and since someone had told me I should try it while in America, I did.

I ordered way too much food.
Chicken, mac and cheese, mozzarella sticks. Everything.

I did not finish it.

Music and Chill

After eating, I found a spot with music playing.
Songs like Vem Dançar Kuduro and La Negra Tiene Tumbao.

I sat there for almost two hours, just listening, relaxing, and doing nothing.

One of those days that feels simple and perfect.

Gun Range Attempt

Today I tried to find a gun range I could go to.
I found one, but once I saw the prices, that idea ended very quickly.

The cheapest option was around 350 euros. Hard no.

On the way there we took an sidequest to walk over what we tought were unused rails. but after some time we quickly relized that they were infact not out of use. as we saw a train pass on the other track.

Store Adventure

Instead, I went to a nearby Walmart and Home Depot.
Those places are massive.

They sell everything. Toys, clothes, food, electronics. And even more guns! And the chips section alone was insane. Entire aisles full of absurdly large bags from every brand imaginable.

It was overwhelming, but also kind of fun.

A strange, very American way to end the day.

Late Start

I started the day around 11am. After a calm morning, I decided to go to the beach again. One more time. Just to feel the waves and be there.

Solo Walk

At some point, I walked by myself along the entire stretch of the beach. Past the Art Deco buildings, along that long road next to the sand. Just looking around, taking it in.

After a while, I found a quiet spot near the water, laid down for a bit, and then went back into the ocean.

I loved it.

Cheesecake Factory

After the beach, I went to The Cheesecake Factory. It was actually really good, but also very filling, very fast. I had mac and cheese and walked around a bit more afterward.

Real Talk

On the way back, I started thinking about the last two weeks. About how much had happened in such a short amount of time. Orlando already felt far away, even though it had only just ended.

It was one of those moments where the trip finally caught up with me. Not in a dramatic way. Just quietly.

Chick-fil-A Again

Later, I went to Chick-fil-A.
Even though I was already full from earlier, I still ate two chicken burgers and a lot of nuggets.

Zero regrets.

Last Night Feeling

That night, I laid down and watched a movie again. Tomorrow would be my last full day in Miami, and I could feel it.

While getting ready for bed, I noticed how tired my body was from the beach, the walking, the sun, and the ocean.

Not ideal. But still worth it.

The Best Day

This was my favorite day of the entire trip.

I started as early as possible and headed to Wynwood to pick up my analog film. Holding the developed photos felt special. Seeing the negatives was especially cool. I could even take a picture of them, invert the colors, and actually see the image appear. Really interesting.

Brickell Bound

After that, I made my way downtown to Brickell City Centre, the biggest mall in Miami. I walked around for hours, tried on clothes, and just enjoyed being there.

At some point, I bought a movie ticket for Avatar 3 without fully realizing what time it would end.

That would come back to haunt me later.

Dinner and People Watching

Before the movie, I went to a nice Italian restaurant. Spaghetti, pizza, good food, calm vibes.

At the table next to us sat a mother and daughter livestreaming on TikTok the entire time. Talking to their phones, reacting, smiling on cue. It felt incredibly artificial. No hate, just strange to witness up close.

It was oddly entertaining.

Late Movie Night

The movie started at 10pm.
I did not really think about the fact that it would end around 1am.

But it was worth it.

Avatar 3 was great. Multiple storylines happening at once, slowly coming together at the end. Not predictable. Not really a fairytale either. Just immersive and different. Easily my favorite of all time. After Interstellar of course.

Almost No Sleep

I got back to the hotel by Uber around 3am.
My alarm was set for 7am.

I packed most of my stuff, laid down, and fell asleep almost instantly.

Exhausted. Happy. And very aware that Miami was over.

A perfect final day.

Next up

Tomorrow I'm leaving for New York early in the morning. In that post ill just talk about NYC. not the trip getting there

Thrown Into It

I landed in New York after a short flight from Miami, running on almost no sleep. The difference hit instantly. Cold air. Faster pace. No soft landing.

From the airport it was straight into movement. Trains, transfers, walking, following signs, dragging bags. I was awake, but barely present.

Accidental Landmarks

As soon as I exited the metro, I accidentally walked straight into Rockefeller Center.

Crowds everywhere. People stacked on top of each other. Lights, noise, cameras, the Christmas tree. Impressive, yes. But overwhelming. Way too much as a first impression.

I dropped off my luggage as quickly as possible, which helped immediately. No bags made the city feel lighter.

Looking for something quieter, I walked into a side street.

Which turned out to be Times Square.

Again. Screens, lights, crowds, chaos. Tourists stopping randomly, people rushing past them. Everything screaming for attention.

Not again.

So I walked away, following smaller streets, just trying to escape the noise.

And somehow, without planning it at all, I ended up on Broadway. Right in front of the theater where Hamilton takes place. That moment felt different. Still busy, but calmer. Purposeful. Genuinely cool.

Reset Mode

After all that stimulus, I stopped at a McDonald’s. Nothing special. Just warmth, food, and somewhere to sit.

Exhaustion caught up fast, so I went to a movie theater just to rest. Darkness, seats, quiet. Exactly what I needed.

Cold Streets and a Closed City

After the movie, I went back outside. It was colder. I walked south for a bit to see the Empire State Building, but the cold kept creeping in.

What surprised me most was how dead the city felt. Christmas Eve. Almost everything closed. Few places to warm up. Few places to just exist.

After more than two hours of walking, the only place I found open was an Apple Store. I went in and sat down on a bench.

Apparently, I fell asleep almost instantly. At some point, a worker came up and told me I could not sleep there. Fair enough. I was completely gone by then.

The Scam

Eventually, I woke up properly and booked a sleeping pod near Central Park for about 200 bucks. It was around 4am when I arrived.

There was a guy there. Let’s call him Jamal.

He asked for copies of my ID, a signature, and a 50-dollar deposit. Then he told me I had to wait until 5am to check in.

When I finally got the room, something immediately felt wrong. It was not what I expected, I was exhausted, and the whole setup felt sketchy.

Then things escalated. Jamal became pushy, told me I had to leave, and refused to give a refund. I had not even been there for ten minutes.

While standing awkwardly in the elevator, I got an email.
A $250 charge had just been made to my card.

In total, I was down almost $500, without a place to sleep.

Later, I would see Jamal laying in a subway hallway. Homeless. Scamming people. That made everything click. Anger, frustration, disbelief. I was tired, cold, and taken advantage of.

Just Sit Somewhere

By then it was almost 6am. At 7am, I booked a seat at a cinema just for somewhere warm to sit.

I watched Zootopia 2, but mostly I slept. I arrived hours early, sat down, and passed out until loud moments in the movie woke me up.

One Last Thing

I felt like I had seen enough of New York. Except one thing.

I took the subway to World Trade Center and visited the 9/11 Memorial. Quiet. Heavy. Beautiful in a respectful way.

After that, I walked to Battery Park and took the Staten Island Ferry. The Statue of Liberty was smaller than expected. Still special. Still worth seeing.

Leaving

And just like that, it was time to go.

New York was not easy. Not gentle. Not warm.

But it was real.

And somehow, that made it unforgettable.

The End of This Chapter

This trip has been the best vacation I have ever had.

It was full of laughter, stress, strange moments, beautiful places, and memories I will not forget. I saw incredible things. I had calm days on the beach. I had chaotic nights in New York. I had moments where everything felt easy, and moments where I just wanted to sit down somewhere warm and disappear for a bit.

But that is what made it feel real.

There was always something next. Another bus. Another beach. Another meal. Another mistake. Another weird American store. Another place that looked completely different from the last one.

What I Miss Already

I want to go back.

Back to South Beach. Back to the sand. Back to the warmth. Back to waking up with no real plan except finding something to do and seeing where the day goes.

That is what I miss most. Not one big moment. Just the feeling of being there.

For Future Me

If I ever read this again, I hope I remember the whole thing honestly.

Not just the pretty parts. Also the tired parts. The confusing parts. The parts where I messed up. The parts where the city felt too loud, the bus felt unsafe, or the day went completely sideways.

Because somehow, all of that became the story.

And if I ever get days like these again, you can bet I will be blogging it again.

Thank You

Thank you to everyone who followed along, supported me, and made this trip possible.

This was more than a vacation.
It was a memory I will carry with me forever.