11

10 years ago a very special little girl had her first birthday cake all over her face and I had the pleasure of watching her trying to navigate the chewy yummy frosting in her mouth with both hands. She learned to use silverwear pretty fast as she did with everything else. She is one of the brightest little girls you have ever met and though I never had the peasure to spent her birthday with her again, I assume she is doing something fun every year for her birthday.

Although that´s a zillion years ago I remember when I was 11. The whole world was about playing, teasing my brother and going to school, for fun of course. We did play a lot, didn´t listen to our parents as much as we should have and life was great! I had everything I basically needed back then. Of course I had no idea that such a thing as politics excisted and that it kept me and everyone else in east germany from going to all the places we might have liked going to. I didn´t understand the concept but I remember the feeling at my grandparents balcony, which looked out to West-Berlin. I was wondering what is there, why do we never go there? Why were there soldiers with guns at some places in Berlin? I already knew what soldiers are and that guns could be dangerous. And a lot of kids from school were really proud of their jeans from west-germany, which I never understood. Pants were pants back then as long as I didn´t have to wear these red corduroy ones, my mom loved so much. I couldn´t care less. All I needed was my bike, my friends and family. I had a beautiful childhood.

But before I turned 12, the world changed, literally. My parents had rented a little cabin the summer of 1989 in the mountains in soutwest of east-Germany. We were on vacation and enjoyed swimming, hiking and I even remember my Dad letting me drive that old car for the first time (don´t try this at thome). You could do such things back then. Anyway, we had a great time but my parents were pretty alert to the daily news. I didn´t really know why but a lot of people were about to go somewhere and it made other people nervous. That fall the so called “Wall”, which devided Germany in two parts came down and the people from both sides could go anywhere they wanted to. But that was only one part of the big change. All the sudden, I have a memory of a worried look at my parents faces. The system had changed and we had to adapt and change lifestyles and attitudes. A lot of people in east germany had to find new jobs and keep up with new problems of social cruelty and a thing called capitalism. It was all about money all the sudden. I remember my first time in West-Berlin. At first I was holding on to my mom pretty tight but I got used to it pretty quick and curiosity came in. I will never forget the first taste of kiwi at the age of twelve. :)

Although the change was a very rough time of insecurity and loosing grounds I am sooo happy that I had the chance only 9 years later to travel across the ocean to become an extended member of an extraordinary family and had the time of my life taking care of  the sweetest little girl ever who just turned 11. 

Love you!