Hi, I’m Kathrin and I am a German expat living in the crazy world of the Silicon Valley, California. My husband, our two girls and I moved here in May 2008. Living in the US was supposed to be an adventure. Now a few years have become nearly a decade in the Golden State.
Expat life
I still don’t call myself an immigrant, because I never came to stay. Our life in California definitely has been a big adventure. This place has become our (second) home, we love it here and we have made lots of wonderful friends. Of which some have already moved back to their home countries.
Living the expat life has always been a challenge for me as well. Socially, emotionally and career-wise. We went through three different visas during this whole time and only this January we finally received the green card. In the last nine years I was a mother, a wife, a friend, a networking queen, an event manager, a teaching aide, a German teacher, a P.E. teacher, a Marketing assistant, the founder and owner of an after school care, a runner, a triathlete, a blogger and a meet up leader. You can call me “Alltagsheldin”, which means everyday heroine 😉 .
2 hearts
As much as I love it here in California, the sun, the people and the outdoors, I am still missing my big, dirty, loud, not so sunny, but honest and big-hearted Cologne. And I often feel that I do not belong here. Hence there are two hearts beating in my chest. One is German and beats for Cologne and the other one will always be Californian. That’s why I called this blog Cöllefornia (Kölle is the pet name for Cologne).
It has become very important for me. I discovered that I love to write about the shit I do and feel in life and furthermore this blog has become the place where I can share my adventures and experiences with kindred spirits all over the world.
A German expat living on the greener grass.
Expat adventures and advice.
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Cailin
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I love that term! Alltagsheldin! It’s so much better as one work than the two in English.
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bellamonte
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Thanks, my friend!
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Heike
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Part of my blog was called cöllefornia too! I used to live in Lindethal and I miss my hometown as much as you do. Just people from Köln/ Cologne can understand that.
Cheers Heike-
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Hello Heike! Thanks for your comment! What’s your blog called/URL? I love Lindenthal! Both our girls were born in Hohenlind 🙂
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*Lindenthal
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Hi Kathrin! I found you through our mutual friend Tina Busch. I came back to the US after four years in Zurich and I’m still not adjusted a full three years later. 🙁 Please email me! I would love to collaborate. xx
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Hi Lindsey! Just checked out your blog, it’s beautiful! Our close German friends (who we met here in CA) live close to Zurich! What a small world. I will definitely email you 🙂
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Hi! I am Nerissa, a Filipino living in Italy.
We just started a website dedicated to the lives of all those living in a country other than the one where they were born. Thru PeopleAbroad.org we intend to increase connections, awareness, and understanding among people.
We would like to ask you to contribute as an author to the website by writing even one single post with photos and/or videos about the region of the world you live in. Your post can be externally linked to your personal websites, blogs, Facebook pages, Twitter account, and/or anything else you like, in order to promote your own activity.
If possible, we would also like you to write your story (bio – where you live and how you decided to live your life abroad) – example: https://www.peopleabroad.org/nerissa-filipino-living-in-italy/.
To become an author, it is not necessary to live in a different country from where you were born, but simply to know a bit of the world by having lived, studied, or traveled abroad.
Please, sign up to our website at https://www.peopleabroad.org/register/ and send all your files with things you would like to share (your story or your posts) by email to people(at)peopleabroad(dot)org. In case of big files, send them by WETRANSFER.
Since this website is still under construction, we do not have yet made it available to search engines for indexation. So, to access it, just type http://www.PeopleAbroad.org.
We are just starting and that is why your help is essential. We would love to see you onboard!
All the best,
Nerissa
PeopleAbroad.org
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Hi! Hallo!
You can find me here, too.
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