Every summer, I am very lucky to be able to spend 6 weeks in Europe. I spend most of that time in Germany near Munich with my family and friends. It is so interesting to me that even after 20 years of living in the U.S., I slip right back into my old German life and my German identity, almost as if I've never left. During that time, I hardly think about New York and I don’t miss it. Nothing. Nada. Nichts. Not even my daily Chai Latte at Starbucks which I’m glad to find out is just a costly habit and not an addiction.
The older I get, the more I catch myself evaluating what it would mean to move back “home” for good and what it would mean for the rest of my life. What would I do? Where would I live? Would my friends still take time to see me as much?
Feeling equally at home in two cultures allows me to see many things from a different perspective. I can appreciate the positive effects of the perceived American “superficiality” and although I sometimes get annoyed by the German negativity or skill called “Jammern auf hohem Niveau” (complaining on a high level), I still belong here. It’s home. It’s HEIMAT.
However, the moment I’m sitting in a cab after 6 weeks with family, friends, beer gardens, and delicious food, and I see the skyline of Manhattan appear in front of me, I know New York is “home” as well. That’s where I worked so hard to become a part of, that’s where I found my niche, where I built my family and my company. That’s where I belong as well.
The peculiar thing is that sometimes I feel as if I'm living two parallel lives I'm switching in and out of. My personal narrative goes on in both worlds while I’m physically going back and forth. I would be curious if any of my readers can relate? I’d be even more curious how immigrants must have felt before air travel, before phones, and before the internet. A good-bye often meant good-bye forever, but their HEIMAT and identity was still the same. They brought their values, customs, and skills with them, which German-American communities across the country still uphold. Many famous Americans have German roots and are highly revered to this day.
Nevertheless, there is also a “new” German-American community of people who arrived in the past few decades and are leaving their mark. They may be less connected with the old-world German culture, but they contribute equally to society in many different fields. At HEIMAT abroad we like to find the right mix reporting on long-standing traditions as well as current topics and explore transatlantic relationships.
For me personally, the exciting part and the challenge of a global lifestyle is that I never feel 100% at home in either world. American culture is a part of me as much as German culture. It would break my heart if I had to decide for one or the other. Luckily, publishing HEIMAT abroad gives me the perfect platform to explore and report on both cultures, history, transatlantic relationships, business news, travel tips and events. I’m learning something new everyday and I’m excited to take you along on my journey.
Unsere Partner
