diff --git a/script.js b/script.js
index c50d8f0..26a3e89 100644
--- a/script.js
+++ b/script.js
@@ -535,16 +535,15 @@ var si = 0,
                       bg.className = 'hero-bg';
                       hero.insertBefore(bg, hero.firstChild);
                     }
-                    /* Old slide — starts at current position, slides out right */
-                    var oldEl = document.createElement('div');
-                    oldEl.className = 'hero-bg-slide old';
-                    oldEl.style.backgroundImage = "url('images/city-amsterdam.jpg')";
-                    bg.appendChild(oldEl);
+
+                    var hasExisting = bg.children.length > 0;
+
                     /* New slide — starts off-screen right, slides in */
                     var newEl = document.createElement('div');
-                    newEl.className = 'hero-bg-slide new';
+                    newEl.className = 'hero-bg-slide';
                     newEl.style.backgroundImage = "url('" + heroImages[best.host] + "')";
                     bg.appendChild(newEl);
+
                     /* Label slides in from right */
                     var label = document.createElement('div');
                     label.className = 'hero-city-label';
@@ -552,16 +551,23 @@ var si = 0,
                     hero.appendChild(label);
 
                     /* GSAP timeline — 3x slower */
-                    gsap.set(oldEl, { x: '0%' });
                     gsap.set(newEl, { x: '100%' });
                     gsap.set(label, { x: '150%' });
 
-                    var tl = gsap.timeline({
-                      onComplete: function() { oldEl.remove(); }
-                    });
-                    tl.to(oldEl,  { x: '100%', duration: 3, ease: 'power2.out' }, 0)
-                      .to(newEl,  { x: '0%',   duration: 3, ease: 'power2.out' }, 0)
-                      .to(label,  { x: '0%',   duration: 2.5, ease: 'power2.out' }, 0.3);
+                    var tl = gsap.timeline();
+                    if (hasExisting) {
+                      /* Carousel: old slides out right, new slides in */
+                      var oldEl = bg.children[0];
+                      gsap.set(oldEl, { x: '0%' });
+                      tl.to(oldEl, { x: '100%', duration: 3, ease: 'power2.out' }, 0)
+                        .to(newEl, { x: '0%',   duration: 3, ease: 'power2.out' }, 0)
+                        .to(label, { x: '0%',   duration: 2.5, ease: 'power2.out' }, 0.3)
+                        .call(function() { oldEl.remove(); });
+                    } else {
+                      /* First time: just slide new in from right */
+                      tl.to(newEl, { x: '0%',   duration: 3, ease: 'power2.out' }, 0)
+                        .to(label, { x: '0%',   duration: 2.5, ease: 'power2.out' }, 0.3);
+                    }
                   };
                   img.src = heroImages[best.host];
                 }