....although i was born inVienna Austria and lived there until I was 7 when my mother married my dad and he brought me to the states.... my hometown is no where ...my friends have been everywhere...growing up if I hadn't been someplace yesterday,...i was sure to go there tomorrow.... Igrew up with bugle calls and artillery salutes and the knowledge that hom...
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is where the heart is and the family....that it had no dependence on
where I lived .. no matter if it was a guest house.. a duplexe...
trailer.... government housing apartments on base or a quaint old
french farm house...
mobility became a way of life.... but I never forgot my roots ...they go deep as a mighty oak back to Vienna where I still have family....
any time we arrived at a new duty station .. I absorbed all an area had to offer... the culture... meeting new people....learning how others around the world live.... enjoying new cuisines.... learning the basics of a new language … enough to get around in everyday life... my birth language was German....which is what I spoke along with Italian when I first came to the states at age 7 ...once here I had to learn English and with no one to speak the German or Italian with I eventually lost the capabilty to carry on a conversation in either...
moving from place to place taught me to be open … to be accepting of people different then myself.. and appreciating those differences... and embedding memories that will last a lifetime...
I think I became more aware of routine and structure.... more disciplined more out going and independent ...more accepting of peoples differences....
just as there was joy and excitement in meeting new people …. there was also pain at times in leaving ...there is no perfect way to say “goodbye” it's never easy.... so many times I left friends behind.. but also looked forward to meeting new friends along the way... and several times over the years the paths would cross again with some of these friends
I never grew up with anyone … going to the same school with the same kids from Kindergarden till graduation. as non military kids did ….yet I matured with many....I developed an ability to "fit in" immediately.....i learned to accept and identify with every possible kind of person blending as quickly as possible so as not to stick out as the "new kid". … we were all new kids....
I feel fortunate to have experienced the culture and traditions of so many places.. meeting so many people …. and feel drawn to go back again and again....
I've lived in Vienna Austria ….
LivornoItaly....
North Branch Michigan...
Columbus Georgia... ( Ft. Benning)
La Rochelle France.... (Fontenet)
Triangle Virginia ( Ft Belvoir)
Augsburg Germany
Killeen Texas (Ft. Hood)
I wouldn't trade any of it for anything... I think having traveled and lived in so many places growing up ... experiencing so many cultures meeting new people all the time .. has made me the person I am today.... always wanting to learn about and experience new things enjoying all life has to offer no matter where I might be....
mobility became a way of life.... but I never forgot my roots ...they go deep as a mighty oak back to Vienna where I still have family....
any time we arrived at a new duty station .. I absorbed all an area had to offer... the culture... meeting new people....learning how others around the world live.... enjoying new cuisines.... learning the basics of a new language … enough to get around in everyday life... my birth language was German....which is what I spoke along with Italian when I first came to the states at age 7 ...once here I had to learn English and with no one to speak the German or Italian with I eventually lost the capabilty to carry on a conversation in either...
moving from place to place taught me to be open … to be accepting of people different then myself.. and appreciating those differences... and embedding memories that will last a lifetime...
I think I became more aware of routine and structure.... more disciplined more out going and independent ...more accepting of peoples differences....
just as there was joy and excitement in meeting new people …. there was also pain at times in leaving ...there is no perfect way to say “goodbye” it's never easy.... so many times I left friends behind.. but also looked forward to meeting new friends along the way... and several times over the years the paths would cross again with some of these friends
I never grew up with anyone … going to the same school with the same kids from Kindergarden till graduation. as non military kids did ….yet I matured with many....I developed an ability to "fit in" immediately.....i learned to accept and identify with every possible kind of person blending as quickly as possible so as not to stick out as the "new kid". … we were all new kids....
I feel fortunate to have experienced the culture and traditions of so many places.. meeting so many people …. and feel drawn to go back again and again....
I've lived in Vienna Austria ….
LivornoItaly....
North Branch Michigan...
Columbus Georgia... ( Ft. Benning)
La Rochelle France.... (Fontenet)
Triangle Virginia ( Ft Belvoir)
Augsburg Germany
Killeen Texas (Ft. Hood)
I wouldn't trade any of it for anything... I think having traveled and lived in so many places growing up ... experiencing so many cultures meeting new people all the time .. has made me the person I am today.... always wanting to learn about and experience new things enjoying all life has to offer no matter where I might be....
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