"From One Heartland To Another" ericaj.'s Profile

An American Midwesterner In Hamburg

After about 14 years of traveling for my career, I've found a new expatriate abode... and it's Hamburg, the Hanseatic City-State!

Having had the chance to do short term stints in Italy and Spain through the years, I've settled on Germany as my true home away from home. I guess you could call it a connection based on familiarity. As the United States has always been nicknamed the "Great American Melting Pot", being originally from the Ohio midwest, it always delights me when I accidentally discover the cultural elements here in Germany that give origin and new meaning to many of the midwestern traditions held so dearly throughout Ohio.

Imagine the wonder one experiences here while walking the streets of their collegiate literary heroes Goethe and Nietzsche, when discovering something as simple and lovely as the annual Weinachtsmarkt, or attending an authentic German Oktoberfest... Or even tasting orginal versions of foods they've known since childhood and having the chance to see how they've been prepared since century upon century. As a child growing up in the Great Lakes region of America, these things were simply buzz phrases and sound bites of our regional pop culture that existed and were part of my daily life without much meaning behind them. Now, having the opportunity to live in the place where many of my regional traditions originated, I feel almost as if I'm a modern day heroine in a Grimm Brothers folk tale on my own anthropological quest...a quest that is proving to both enhance my appreciation of the state I am from as well as the folk customs held dearly to my heart.

As I don't get to work on my pages here often as I like to due my work schedule, this little writing adventure here at Virtual Tourist is proving to be quite the "labor of love" for me. But thank you to all of those who send such wonderful notes of encouragement or kindly seek travel tips...I do hope you'll be staying along with me on as I journey through the Hanseat and beyond...!

Intro Updated Dec 2, 2007
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Comments (32)

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RickinDutch Nov 21, 2012 at 9:01 AM

Happy Birthday!
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  ericaj. Nov 21, 2012 at 11:14 PM
  
  Thank you! It was a great day!
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meiyergani Nov 21, 2012 at 3:16 AM

Happy Birthday ERICAJ....still look younger....
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  ericaj. Nov 21, 2012 at 11:15 PM
  
  Thank you! But I think it's time for a new haircut for me, haha!
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DaHongHua Nov 21, 2012 at 12:57 AM

Nice meeting you in today's birthday list. Happy birthday and all the best to you. Greeting from Malaysia.
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  ericaj. Nov 21, 2012 at 11:17 PM
  
  That is very kind, thank you so much and all the best to you and yours in Malaysia!
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olja1234 Nov 21, 2011 at 11:45 AM

Happy Birthday, Erica!
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chrisbilal Jan 31, 2010 at 3:03 PM

Nice pictures. I do miss Hamburg quite a bit sometimes.
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stonefree Nov 25, 2008 at 7:58 PM

Better late than never... Happy Birthday, Erica! Bon appetit!!!
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deebum25 Oct 11, 2008 at 10:09 AM

Germany is next on our list thanks for all the details!
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setikeyvan Sep 22, 2008 at 9:58 AM

Hi Erica, Thanks for visiting my homepage. I am glad you enjoyed it. Tea is a fabulous way to take a break where ever you are! One of my colleagues at VT has a little Tea machine. We can hear her boiling water occasionally. I love it!
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Gregoriov Jul 14, 2008 at 11:07 AM

Great VT page Ericaj. Are you still in Germany? Fantastic smile also! I hold a toast to our friendship!
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Basaic Nov 21, 2007 at 3:35 PM

Happy Birthday! May you have a long life full of great travels.