American Girl At Heart...?

As far back as I can remember I have felt an affinity with the United States. That isn't to say that I have anything against my own country of origin, namely the UK, I simply have experienced more of a sense of opportunity and acceptance whilst visiting the US. Perhaps I have seen too many movies. Regardless, I have felt the calling of the American Dream and somehow my life took on the direction of the land of hope and glory.

Years ago when I was a mere 7 years old, my own father (of German descent) made a permanent leap of faith and relocated to the state of Tennessee with my stepmother (a native of TN). Since then, flying the 4,000 miles across the pond to visit them both, has been a constant source of intrigue and possibility. Growing up I found solace in the idea that there was an entire accessible world out there, simply waiting to be explored and understood. And so it went, I spent my early twenties simultaneously pursuing acceptance and graduation from a prestigious drama school in my very own London, and using my summers and winter holidays to visit and work in the States.

Thanks to several work exchange programs such as BUNAC and Camp America, my free time was dedicated to working and experiencing the similar, yet alien culture of super sized meals, uncompromisingly supportive camp counselors, midnight trips to the wonderful Walmart and last minute plane hopping across the East Coast.

Somewhere amid the adventures and the challenges so very far from my English home, I met my husband. And it all made sense. My life may have been on a dichotomous path up until that point but standing there, in the right place at the very right time, and meeting the man who was to be my life partner, the chaos proved calculated. I was home.