Bob and me 1951

My father got stationed in  Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. I have lots of memories of those years because of the many home movies my dad filmed. Don’t forget, that was the early 1950’s! We lived there for about three years before returning to the USA and transferring to San Diego, California.

We bought a house in El Cajon, California, and lived there until 1961 when we moved for a three-year stay in the Philippines before moving back. At the time, the house was located on the edge of town…there were horses kept nearby and downtown was real small. My parents and my younger brother with his family still live in that house! It is now located in the middle of a fairly large city and downtown almost doesn’t exist any more, sorry to say.

Our three-year stay in Subic Bay, Philippines, was a real adventure. It was an experience I’ll never forget. I was luckily old enough to appreciate it: the jungle, the trips to various tourist areas, the people, the storms. My dad was captain of a small navy freighter which we used to call our yacht. My whole family got involved in square dancing and we did many trips to various cities to perform. I’ve been told not to go back there…it’s changed a lot since the Americans turned over their military bases to the Philippines and since the volcano Pinatubo covered some areas with ashes. Pity. It would have been fun to see it all again.

We returned to El Cajon and I went high school then attended one year at San Diego State College, where I studied astronomy of all things! It was during this time that I met my future husband, Michael.

I spent most of my weekends at Balboa Park where I danced with the folk dancers there. Once in a while I performed in exhibitions. My dance partner back then was Steve.

At one such exhibition Michael saw me dancing and arranged after the performance to meet me. He was a young pilot in training from Germany. Lufthansa used to do their training at Brown Field in San Diego together with PSA and Japan Airlines. It wasn’t long and we were engaged and in June 1969 I came to Germany.

What a “culture” shock! The climate quite different then California, and I couldn’t speak a word of German! For the first months I stayed with Michael’s family in the Harz mountains, then stayed at his uncle and aunt’s place in Frankfurt. His Aunt Doris was my first real friend in Germany. Unfortunately she died much too early.

Michael and I married in February 1970. We had the civil ceremony in Germany in knee-deep snow, then two weeks later the church ceremony in El Cajon in warm, summer temperatures.

Since Michael, now a full-fledged co-pilot with Lufthansa, flew out of Frankfurt, we found an apartment near there. I had to learn the language since he was gone often. Television helped a lot!

In March 1974 our son, Carsten, was born. We had moved into a larger apartment where we lived for 4 years. To keep myself busy, as if Carsten didn’t keep me busy enough, I started teaching folk dancing. This was a good way to meet new people and to stay fit.

In July 1976 our daughter, Regina, was born. Soon afterwards we moved again, this time in our own house. I continued teaching folk dancing, evening had the chance to attend classes in Romania. That was in 1980, long before the iron curtain fell.

In 1975 I had my first contact with Fasching, the German form of Mardi Gras. In the 1981 / 1982 campaign Michael and I were the towns Fasching prince and princess. That was a very fun experience!

I never dreamed I could ever learn to fly. I thought you can only learn it when you became a professional! In the spring of 1983 I took my first flight lessen in a powered glider. It was great! I got my certificate in 1984. Soon I got my single-engine certificate since I needed it to fly in the USA. I spent every free minute at the air field, becoming a traffic advisor, earning my glider rating, then the glider-tow rating. I had many enjoyable flights, including a flight to the north cap of Europe in a Piper Arrow with two other club members. I also managed to get my hot-air balloon rating.

As things happen, our marriage deteriorated. We separated in 1992 and soon after we got a divorce. I continued to stay in Germany since here is now my home! For a while I lived in Baden-Württemberg. I had a new boy friend, Thomas, for seven years…and we almost got married. But then I got a great job in Darmstadt and our relationship suffered under the constant separation.

In 1996 I got my instructors rating for single-engine and powered-glider airplanes. Then in 1997 I got my CPL (commercial pilots certificate).

Well, that’s my life, in condensed form. This summer, 2002, my daughter is getting married and my parents are planning to fly over to attend. My son is also planning a wedding soon. Before you know it, I’ll be a Grandma!!! At least you can’t say my life has been boring!!!

Up-date:

In the mean time BOTH kids are married and I actually AM a Grandma!!   Little Tamara was born on October 15, 2003 to Regina and her husband Frank followed by Emely on June 13, 2005. Carsten and his wife, Karen have a daughter, Shiana, born April 8, 2007 and another daughter, Priyasha, born on February 11, 2009.