Phoenix by Susi Cruz – kit from LEGO® bricks

With over 223,000 subscribers on YouTube and 80,000 followers on Instagram, Susi Cruz is loved and admired. She has earned it: her cheerful demeanor, strong work ethic and encouraging words inspire and motivate; her fashion and cooking tips have undoubtedly contributed to her popularity.

Born in Düsseldorf to Chinese parents, she studied fashion and design management at university. Just three months before she graduated, she gave it all up. She suddenly realized that she actually wanted to pursue a completely different goal. Susi dreamed of freedom and adventure. But she didn't want to leave it at that. She saved assiduously for several years to buy a used van, which she then converted herself. Alongside her best four-legged friend Jalapeño (known as Peño for short), she set off on her big adventure in September 2017.

Susi initially toured Europe; China, the land of her ancestors, was her distant goal. But first an accident was to slow her down. It happened on a British motorway during the Christmas season of 2019. The person she was at fault in the accident made off, her beloved van was a total write-off, she was totally shaken and shocked, but fortunately uninjured.

This experience could have been the end of the beautiful "One Girl & Her Van Around the World" stories, but it wasn't. Susi set about repairing her van, which was reborn like a phoenix from the ashes, even more beautiful and technically improved, not least thanks to donations from her fans and supporters.

As the world gradually emerged from the first wave of the coronavirus epidemic, Susi resumed her journey through Europe. But now our continent became too small for her, and so we can now eagerly follow her adventures in America in late summer 2021.

Update in February 2025: I, Ralf, have to look for new numbers here. Sorry, Susi ;-)

• Number of original LEGO® bricks: 275
• Dimensions of the model: 14.1 x 5.3 x 8.1 cm