Emigration: How It All Began
So where did the desire to go abroad come from?
Unlike me, my younger brother spent time abroad during his 11th grade. And while my stay abroad, had it happened, would have been in France due to my academic orientation, he longed for the English-speaking, and from our perspective back then, faraway America. He spent an entire school year in Portland, Oregon. At the end of his stay, my parents and I visited him to explore the West Coast of America by car. And I strongly suspect that this is where the origin of my desire lies. When picking up my brother, I could see the development he had undergone in a year – not only linguistically, but in many other respects as well. As an older sister, I was of course mainly proud of my little brother, but perhaps secretly also a bit envious. While he had gained a lot of experiences and displayed a whole new level of openness, I had nothing to share. I was stuck in the same daily routine as before his departure a year earlier: apprenticeship, vocational school, evening off, weekend. Week after week.
I really enjoyed the vacation in America, and the road trip through the state of California left a lasting impression. Maybe it was because I viewed the trip through the eyes of an older sister trying to understand and relate to her little brother’s life in America. Or perhaps it was because TV shows like OC California and Gossip Girl romanticized the American lives of (the rich and beautiful) American teenagers at the time. In America, everything seemed possible if a wealthy family from Newport could take in a boy from a socially disadvantaged background into their pool house… While the show exaggerated a bit, I still appreciate America’s openness, friendliness, and warmth. Even if some Germans might find it superficial, it’s nice, and I think it’s great.
Whatever exactly set things in motion, for me, its origin is definitely tied to that first trip to America. Because one thing was clear to me after the vacation: I also wanted to live in America someday, preferably in a house on the coast of Orange County, like Ryan and Marissa, or at least like my little brother.
For Daniel, the desire came much later. He can probably pinpoint it better himself, but from my perspective, the origin also lies in a vacation in America. Once again, we were in California, and once again, we tried to understand and imitate the lives and society of Americans during our trip. Our friends, whom we had made in the meantime, tried to show us their lives as best as they could. One evening, they took us to their favorite restaurant, the Besta Wan Pizza House, which ironically reminded us a bit of a pizza joint in Kreuzberg with scribbles on the tables and walls. We sat there, trying to decipher the sketches and sayings on the tables. And there it was: Life begins where your comfort zone ends. I think that was the moment for Daniel when the desire for adventure, for more, first emerged. Our life in Germany was certainly comfortable, but was that all we wanted to achieve in life? Especially since this comfort – thanks to the safe country of Germany – was practically handed to us from birth. We hardly had to do more than be born with a bit of intelligence and a great deal of luck.
A few more trips to the USA, the realization that our school English was slowly but surely deteriorating, and the book “The Big 5 for Life” later, it was clear to both of us: We want to go abroad! Maybe not forever, but definitely once in a lifetime! We wanted to go to America. So we made plans, devised strategies, made contacts, took private English lessons… Only to end up not going to America at all. How that came about and how we still managed to move abroad, you’ll find out in the next post.
Photo and Title photo from Dark Astraal via pexels.
Related Posts
Singapore Diaries: What I appreciate about Germany since living in Singapore
Lately, I have been noticing more and more things that I really appreciate (and miss!) about Germany. Funny enough, I initially couldn't wait to leave the country. One value, in particular, I miss the most…
What may have hindered the integration abroad for a long time | Opinion
Today, 11 Bay Area counties have finally committed to an end of the indoor mask mandate for most settings. You have no idea how relieved I am. In this post, I am sharing my opinions on the prolonged masks mandates from a foreigner’s point of view who’s trying to integrate abroad.
SF Diaries, #01/2022 – About kicking off the year in isolation, planning trips for 2022 and finally applying for a CC
The first week of the year has started low, for obvious reasons. That's why I didn't have that much to report; we would pretty much stay at home all week. However, I was continuously working on my blog and Instagram and have built up an extensive trip schedule for 2022. I want this to be
One Year in Singapore – A timeline
We have been living in Singapore for exactly one year today. Time to recap what happened during this time: From the beginning and us moving to Singapore, excited and with a bucket list full of travel plans and activities, through a three-months-lockdown abroad until now that we are still
We have left Singapore
I know. It has been quiet here for a little while. There was a good reason for it, though, and you might have guessed it already after my last post. We have left Singapore. For good!
Why the Look-and-See Trip is Crucial for the Decision
During the Pre-Move-Visit, we saw Singapore with our own eyes for the first time. The trip was important to help us decide whether we wanted to take the step to move abroad. Especially since we had never been to Southeast Asia before. We’ll share what aspects were important to us during the explo
POST COMMENT