Why I do what I do

When I arrived in Salzburg in 1994, I didn’t understand one word of German. I didn’t know even three days before I left Los Angeles if I would be traveling to Spain, Italy or Germany for a professional volleyball contract. When the offer came from Salzburg, I confidently stepped on a plane and traveled away from my friends and family and entered Austria alone and ready for a challenge. However, being so far from home, unable to express myself at the store, on the bus or with some of my teammates made me sad and homesick. The inability to speak was crippling. I felt my personality wane, my confidence dive and I felt hopelessly misunderstood. It was a very dark time.

Eventually (thankfully!) I met Austrians who patiently listened while I spoke my very slow, and terrible beginner German. I practiced German with strangers in the city and in the pubs, I got tips from street vendors in town and from the local Spar butcher Meat ladies. There were a lot of embarrassing mistakes but little by little I overcame my fear of speaking German. The more I opened my mouth to speak, the more support I got from friends and strangers. The more I relaxed and forgave myself for my failures, I began to let down my barriers and really learned German.

I never forgot that dark, overwhelming feeling that my personality was disappearing with my lack of language. I made a promise to myself that in the future, I would help anyone who felt as helpless as I did.

Today, I speak German with confidence and a sense of humor even when I make mistakes. The desire to connect with others and the willingness to learn something new eventually overpowered my sense of fear. However, I never forgot my promise to help out others. Now I offer others a safe space to communicate in English. A place where you can make all the mistakes and embarrassing misunderstandings in a kind and supportive environment before trying it out in the real world!

My job will never be boring. Meeting new clients is always a pleasure for me. Each individual has a different goal and a unique approach to learning. It’s a team effort (you and me) to find the right material and the right way for you to reach your English language goal and I enjoy the challenge.

Even after 30 years, people still ask if I still get homesick for sunny California. I admit the sunny weather, the spicy Mexican food and most importantly, my family are greatly missed. However, Salzburg is my home now, too. It is the home of the man I married and the birthplace of my two Austrian-American boys. Besides, I am hopelessly in love with Salzburg’s mountains!

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