The main reason for this trip to Germany is my 40th highschool reunion. It is a good starting point to remember those times way back when, it is also a reflection of what happened since. And that is a lot!
Between the age of 20 and 30 was the most difficult time and the time when major life directions happened: I had my sons when I was 25 and 26 years old, I went to university, finished with an MA degree despite being a single mom and working for a photographer. It was tough! I moved, we moved many times, we had a tight budget, but I always found time and money to travel: a few times in Greece, France, Croatia and Italy, then Bali, Tunisia, Turkey, USA. In retrospect, I accomplished a lot, and if somebody would tell MY story now, I wouldn’t believe it!
Between the age of 30 and 40 still lots of changes happened: getting married, moving, still moving, but this time further away: to the US. The kids were slowly getting to be teenagers, exploring their own lives. This was fun to watch! And painful sometimes, watching them going through their identification process, separating from the mothership, creating their own characters. I was and still am very proud of them! I heard once that “once you are a parent, you wear your heart outside your body” and I’m sure every parent understands those words….. I started my own business, worked a lot and traveled to numerous juried art shows and wholesale shows all over the US. And if somebody would tell MY story now, I wouldn’t believe it!
Between the age of 40 and 50 I had more changes sweeping through the homefront: divorce, marriage, more moves. The sudden death of my father was a major hit, it haunted me many years! Professionally there were challenges, opportunities and finding passions that I forgot I had: I started teaching in College and I love it! Inspiring my students, sharing my experiences from my own business, helping them find their way, this was always meant to happen. As a little girl I had a “classroom” in our basement, a school board, some chalk and a hotchpotch of little chairs for the neighborhood kids and my sibling. And I played being a teacher. And I guess I was very good, because all of them ended up having a profession and I blame my highly advanced teaching skills for all their successes! And of course, if somebody would tell MY story,…..
Between the age 50 and 60 more changes, more moves, more challenges: being widowed, remarried, working on my career and being financially independent, settled and worry-free. Excessive traveling, for days, weeks, and even months, all is good. Being away for 8 months was only possible because of Covid 19: the lockdown + remote teaching + internet = flexibility on steroids! You just have to see it and create something so beautiful out of the many negative impacts this pandemic had for everybody. As mentioned in a previous post, I don’t consider myself a tourist, I am a traveler! Two days before my 60th birthday my younger son got engaged to his girlfriend and I guess, there will be more excitement in the next decade in my life! And of course, if somebody would tell MY story,…..
In 4 hours, my best friend from highschool, Ulrike, will pick me up and we will visit our school where the reunion will happen: we will be shocked to see all those old people, we will laugh, talk, and we will have a great time! Our graduation year had ~90 students and half of them will attend today. And I am most nervous of not recognizing anybody anymore. I do hope they’ll have name tags or something, so I’d better bring my reading glasses. Not that I ever need them, because, of course I didn’t age…..
