A kindness repaid, 40 years later

Expat chatter

Spending a year in Spain as a student convinced me that living in Europe and learning a language was a lot of fun, so when I met a German, the idea of moving to Germany was an easy sell. Now one my favorite games is to try to pass as a native speaker —and sometimes it even works. Through stints checking foreign player licenses at the International Basketball Federation, teaching English to Harley Davidson enthusiasts, and creating newsletters and videos for international companies, I've become and as close to a native as a foreigner can get. At least until I had kids and got clobbered by the German school system. But you can't win them all. And there's no end to the surprises and adventures, even though my kids are grown.