I had a postcard, pinned to my desk. It showed the Golden Gate Bridge. And I really, really wanted to see it. Bad thing was: I lived behind the wall, so it was impossible. Like: impossible just like becoming Princess Anne (she had horses, I wanted to be her) or flying to the moon. Then, in 1989, on cold and rainy October Monday we walked the streets in Leipzig, 1000th of people, shouting “We are the people!” and imagined the unimaginable.
Four years later found me on a plane to Minnesota, a State I couldn’t even find a travel guide on. The only thing I knew about it: Rose, the blond one in the TV show “Golden Girls” came from Minnesota.
First thing I found out: American coffee sounds better than it tastes. Second was: Washington State is not an 8 hr drive. Three days later, after Coke & Chips for breakfast, Interstate exits to farm land (if I die here, nobody will ever find me) and discovering I could neither understand a Kiwi nor an Aussie we stopped in Quincy/ Washington.
At a house in the desert, next house 1/4 mile away. One traffic light in town, no Mac Donald’s, a bar called “The Spud Shed”, next town 20 ml away. I came from a 400.000 people city.
I decided to leave the car when I saw horses grazing in the pasture. A man came up to me, all cowboy hat and boots, hugged me and said: “Hi! I am your dad for the next 8 month. … And if you can ride, that will be your horse for that time.” It was so much better than becoming Princess Anne!
My time in America will always be the best time of my life. I learned a whole new prospective: in European Countries we often have (or had) a bullet prove security systems, from health to unemployment and retirement. In America people take over responsibility when there’s no system. They step up, see people in need, help. Always helped me when I needed it traveling.
I learned what it’s like to be proud of your country, to celebrate the 4th of July in red, white and blue. I found out that people here take any job if they’re unemployed because there is no social net and they can’t afford to be picky. It helped to change my perspective.
I found friends from all over the world. I drove a Peterbuilt, heard real Gospel and rounded up cattle. I saw the Golden Gate Bridge. I keep coming back, visiting my host family and friends. And I would like to say my heart became half American. So: Thank you MAST program. You really changed my life.
Uta (Boehme) Worbes
Wanapum Orchard, Quincy WA
MAST 1993/94