*The Follow-Up Q&A Video is out now!* 😊ruclips.net/video/FwPSxq2CSS0/видео.html This video took me down memory lane! It's crazy that I've already lived here for over 6 years now... 😅 Do you have any follow-up questions? Let me know in the comments! 👇
I can identify with a lot of what you said. After my fist contact with Americans in my native Poland I fell in love with the people and soon after, the country. Every time I would visit America, I would cry when I had to leave. Today I am living my dream, in the USA of course, green card for life, and soon getting my citizenship!!!!
Feli filled in the space I had left open in Ohio. I came from Columbus to Germany for my year after college; that was 1986. Now I have two sons and a daughter, all adults who grew up over here. And that developed for me more or less the way she tells her story -- it was the never the master plan, it's just that one thing leads to another. Moin aus Hamburg!
That was so interesting! I had a very similar experience, but in the other direction. I moved from NY to Vienna after college at about the same age as Feli to work on my Master's degree. My first two years here were like living a fantasy dream. I met the most INCREDIBLE people, had the most AMAZING fun, did things I could have never imagined doing, traveled all over Europe from the Arctic Circle in Finland, Norway and Sweden all the way down to Southern Italy. Along the way I met dukes and princes, farmers and airline pilots, tiny little grannies who regaled me with stories about WWII, saw the most curious cultural traditions (e.g. Czech women getting spanked at Easter!), ate the most delicious food, partied like it was the end of the world and met a few true-blue lifelong friends that I could never imagine living without. Just like Feli, I can honestly say that this experience has allowed me to find myself and to really open my eyes to the rest of the world, learning different languages, learning different cultures, learning different ways of thinking and of doing things - this was THE BEST decision I've ever made, period! That was 20 years ago and I'm still here, and still loving it. I love that Vienna offers all the major conveniences but without any of the hassle of NY. People keep asking me if I'll ever return to NY, and I honestly don't have an answer. I never actually planned to stay here as long as I did, it just happened. But I love the European culture and way of life and can't see myself returning to the US anytime soon. So don't be surprised Feli, if you find yourself still living in Cincinnati 20 years from now...😉
@@MW_Asura just simply not true, everyone has different tastes. One individual might love the atmosphere of Vienna and at the same time another might hate it for various reasons. That's why this is a useless argument.
Good to hear such a detailed recounting! I still think we (the US) got the better part of this deal! Thrilled to have you stateside, doing what you do. Hope Ben isn't too upset about the Bengals! Have a great week, Feli--another great video!
Bin in den USA geboren (1964 in Fort Campbell, Kentucky), wir sind ein Jahr später aber wieder rüber nach Deutschland. Seitdem nicht wieder in den Staaten gewesen, bin mehr Großbritannien Fan, war mehrere Male dort. Freut mich aber, dass es dir gut dort gefällt, und du einen so netten Freund hast. 🙂
So cool to hear other people’s stories. I went to the US as an exchange student in 2016 as well (but I was just 16 and did a Highschool exchange). I met my now husband there and went back and forth until I finally got my fiancé visa in 2019. Now I finally have my Green-card, and hearing you talk about all the paperwork/appointments really brought back all the dreadful memories of climbing over this endless mountain of papers. 😅😓 P.S. I’m from Berlin 🇩🇪 😊
Feli you are such a cheerful and broadly -speaking automatic diplomat for both American and Germany relations on both sides of the Atlantic. You (and your boyfriend ) and families should be proud of the insights and tenacity to apply yourself to work and great endeavors including house VERMOEGEN and everything I Really hope that you get a great position in Goethe Institute to foster North American and Germany and EU relations. Please keep it going and have others learn the languages and making friends and giving constant enthusiasm on both sides of the Atlantic. It is your talent in so many ways. Gruesse aus NYC
Don’t let that fool you. Its all just a ruse. We deep down know that she is secretly a spy sent here to spy on the US. This RUclips channel is just a coverup /s
I saw the video of you introducing your boyfriend. You two all but devoured each other with your eyes. It was so heartening to see true love again blooming and beaming from the two of you. Hoch sollt ihr leben!
As a former Cincinnatian, I've enjoyed your channel and podcasts for many years, from the early ones in front of that beautiful fireplace (in Clifton?) to your new home (in the suburbs?). Learned so much about modern Germany, language, culture and about my home town. Congratulations on your achievements. Looking forward to more interesting videos and podcasts.
Hallo Feli, ich spiele schon seit Jahren mit dem Gedanken in die USA auszuwandern. Jetzt ist der Gedanke wieder sehr akut, ich bin über deine Videos zur Green Card Lotterie auf deinen Kanal aufmerksam geworden. Auch ich möchte es über die Lotterie versuchen, auch wenn das natürlich ein Glücksspiel ist. Ich bin immer so ambivalent bzgl USA, einerseits geht es einem in Deutschland sehr gut, in der Not wird man aufgefangen. Das hat man im dem Ausmaß drüben ja nicht. Ich habe wirklich Respekt vor dieser Umstellung, auch das Thema Gesundheitsversorgung. Andererseits will ich im Alter nicht sagen müssen "hättest du es mal probiert"... irgendwie habe ich schon immer im Gefühl gehabt, woanders leben zu wollen. Ich glaube, ich werde es dieses Jahr auch mal in der Lotterie versuchen. Ich habe ja nichts zu verlieren 😊
One interesting video! I am actually doing an exchange semester right now in Germany, living in a shared flat with people from all around the world! Have travelled before, but this experience is unforgettable- first time in Germany and I was alone! Going back home in late March, can't wait to see my closest people!
Grüße aus München, so ganz nebenbei 😉 Meine Urgroßmutter war Native American, mein Dad wurde in Texas geboren, also bin ich gerade dabei, meine Wurzeln zu erkunden. Ich hoffe, ich schaffe es dieses Jahr mal in die USA. Bin aber bestens gerüstet, u.a. dank deiner Videos. 👍
I enjoyed this confident free-spirited video. Not planning anything is the best way to live in my opinion. Leaving the comfort zone always opens doors, builds confidence, and leads to some of the most amazing adventures in life. I've hired many exchange students and helped them get their H1B, Green Card, and some have become US citizens. All of them have amazing stories that brought them to the US.
Feli, I get it when you say that your transition from Germany to the US was less part of a plan and more of something that just kind of "happened". I am much older than you and I have lived my entire life in just such a manner and I don't regret any part of it. If and/or when you should decide to move back to Germany, promise us that you will still produce and post these wonderful videos that are both entertaining and informative.
Thanks for the details Feli. I'm an American living in Tbilisi Georgia. I've been here 4 years now and I'll be doing a four year report soon, and your video gave me some new ideas of what kind of information to include.
That college party culture at a lot of the schools sometimes depends on the school you attend and/or the sorority or fraternity you're associated with.
Hey Feli! I realized from this video that I went to UC the same time as you since I graduated in 2017! I’m glad it was such a positive experience for you there. We are happy to have you in Cincinnati! Thanks for making such an informative channel and talking so positively about our city. Cincinnati is very underrated even in the US. We have come a long way in the last 15 years!
Canada is most multinational country. I have worked for companies HQ'd in Quebec, Germany, UK, NL, and USA, and worked closely with so many ppl who are ESL. You have a completely indistinguishable accent after 6 years of living in US. Amazed.
You explanation about "Why Cincinnati?" is perfect. Ultimately it comes down to people of course. If you listen to Anthony Munoz for example, it was the people that got him hooked on the place. Yea, we're that nice. As amazing as this country is, and the selection of where to go for a foreigner is wide and deep, it's tough to beat this place. I am not being jingoistic, I lived in Greater Boston for three years. It's a great place, but it ain't here. I was an early adopter of this channel, thanks for filling in the blanks.
Ohhhh, I remember taking ETS tests when I was in college becoming a teacher. I once saw a young woman start going through a test before the proctor said we could begin and he took her test and said, "Buh-bye!" to her while she began to cry. A story I make sure I relate every year before state testing.
Hallo Feli! Ich möchte nur mal Danke für die tollen Videos sagen! Ich komme aus der Nähe von Köln und höre Dich teilweise über Stunden auf der Arbeit und verstehe mittlerweile fast alles. Mach weiter so! Liebe Grüße! Achim Kretz
I too moved to the US when I was 22... and ended up in Cincinnati as well! Thanks for sharing your story. If you're ever in the mood to visit Cincinnati Museum Center, let me know and I'll hook you up!
Cool story. I was an exchange student to Argentina in 1975. years later in 1995 I went to work there on a mining project because I'm a geologist. when I was in high school we had to choose a language and take two years of it we could choose from Spanish, German, Russian or French. I chose Spanish but I've always been interested in Germany because half my ancestors came from there and Holland. I traveled around Europe for a year after my first year of college. I spent some time in Germany around Berchtesgaden. I like the episode about movies with German speakers in them like Inglorious Basterds and different war movies. I always thought how difficult it would be to speak a new language without an accent. congratulations to Felicia. I wish her lots of luck. I think she has a bright future.
Does Feli speak without an accent in English? I'm not American and to me she sounds as if she has a fully American accent, I can barely hear a German accent. However, I can't hear the difference between Canadian and most American accents, so sure I'm missing something.
@@FelifromGermany I think your English is excellent. I've only heard you say a few things different from a native English speaker. Once you said "teached" instead of "taught" in the video about how you came to America and as part of your scholarship requirements you taught German at the college. I wish my Spanish was as good as your English. You're fun to listen to.
This was a fun video Feli. Cincinnati gets a bad rap sometimes and it isn't really fair. Glad to hear you are enjoying it. Not studying abroad during college is one of my greatest regrets. By the time I realized I wanted to try it, I was so far along in school that none of the credits I could get would have counted towards my degree.
Another European (British, in his case) who appreciates Midwestern life is Laurence Brown, who moved to Indiana with his American wife whom he married in England. His channel, called Lost in the Pond, like your channel, discusses cultural differences between his former environment and his current one. In fact, both channels are what I call "expat channels" which are quite common on RUclips. I have to say that yours is one of the better ones, in content and production.
@@kenhenderson1762 Yup. He's recently done two videos about it: one to show viewers around the house, another to show quirky things about the house that he had never seen before.
Hi Feli, so fröhlich, wie du dieses Video präsentiert hast, scheint es, dass dein Bauchgefühl dich bisher immer gut beraten hat. Mach' so weiter, ich wünsche Dir alles Gute und freue mich auf deine kommenden Videos.
Very interesting! I was born in the USA and have always lived here. It is fun to hear your origin story. I’ve always wondered how you ended up in Cincinnati. Thanks for sharing!
I played at 75% speed to relax and catch everything, with SO much info in 27 minutes! ❤ your grin and “Why not try it?” outlook. Best to you both as you look ahead while enjoying today.
Very interesting story. Sounds like you had a bit of luck the way things just kind of fell into place. I really enjoy your channel and when you & Josh do Understanding Train Station
Nothing wrong with Cincy, (except skyline chili) i live in Illinois and the company i worked at had a plant in Cincy so i was there every once in awhile, nice city with a beautiful downtown and river front, i am actually thinking of going to watch my cardinals beat on the reds this summer and check out the ballpark. As far as living in the usa goes the midwest is not a bad choice there are good and bad things about every region, so live where you are happy and comfortable!
We play water pong instead of beer pong for two reasons: 1) more inclusive, and 2) water affects the aerodynamics of the ball differently than beer and many high level throwers over here prefer the water aero over the beer aero. It’s a very high level meta strategy decision that was only recently explained to me, a decade-plus beer pong veteran, by a true legend in the game. And no, I am not joking.
That's quite and interesting journey you've had! I appreciate your chipper attitude and your willingness to try new things. Not everyone does that and I think they miss out because of it. Thanks for sharing your story with us!
I enjoyed your story so very much. I have had so far, a wonderful life, loving wife of 50 years, two great daughters, two very successful son-in-laws and five smart, healthy grand kids. Keep living your life as you want and you will be rich with love and happiness,
I’ve never been to a college party since I never went to college but I’ve been to plenty of parties that played beer pong but we never used water in the cups. Learn something new everyday.
Wow. This was fascinating. I did a similar-but-different thing as a young-20s adult: moved to Berlin to study/work, with the goal of learning German as deeply as I could. I ended up staying for two years, teaching English mostly at the Volkshochschule. This was the longest of your videos that I’ve watched, I think, and I confess that while watching, I’m constantly distracted by the following: I simply cannot detect almost ANY trace of a German accent whatsoever, nor any Germanisms or non-idiomatic usages. The closest I heard in this one was an occasional “houssing” (hard S) for “housing”, but that was it. I have never heard anyone with so much American English fluency who didn’t in fact grow up in a bilingual family. So kudos.
Really enjoy your stories..my grandfather & grandmother were both from Germany though I never knew much about it...I understand my grandfather came to the US to avoid being drafted by the Russians, so he was a draft dodger (good) not sure about my grandma... I'm from Cleveland, extremely north of Cincy, but there is a very large presence German presence here also...keep up these great cultural stories!
Thank you so much for sharing your inspiring story 🥰 Speaking of sports: it must have been hard to experience the loss of the Bengals in the last year's Super Bowl and this year's AFC Championship Game 😢
Feli, Super cool that American culture brought out a part of you that you like. Great to hear. Congrats on all the hard work. All the best in the future. Schau ma mal ! 🇺🇸🇩🇪 Also, great to hear a good word about the Midwest- it is what you make it! Tschüss!!
It's sad but true that many people suffer from upper East Coast snobbishness. They view New York and Los Angeles as the only important cities in the U S. All that stuff in the middle is merely "the flyover" [ the boring stuff you have to suffer through to get to the other sparkling, prestigious city on the other coast ] They willfully ignore the fact that there are many fancy cities with lots of good restaurants, prestigious cultural institutions , and populations of more than a million people. The U S does have towns that consist of 500 people and 500 farm animals but they are not that common.
I'm an American and have family married to foreign nationals (Mexico; Brazil; and Germany). All the spouses are fluent in English, but their accents have varied from none to very heavy. I know you've addressed the topic in a previous post, but I'm still left wondering if you had much of a German accent when you arrived in Cincinnati either as a student or as a German language teacher? Did you have a talent for English pronunciation as you learned the language, or did you make a conscious effort to lose all trace of your first language? Also, did you have the choice of learning English with the British pronunciation and word spellings vs. that of the U.S.?
As a Brazilian, speaking for the Brazilian spouse: most Brazilians have very poor access to good, quality English language education, so their accents tend to be heavy and weird. I constantly hope that mine is less weird than the Brazilian accents that I usually hear... So maybe the heavy accents are a consequence of socioeconomic status at home or overall availability of proper English language education in their home countries. (I feel that in the Brazilian case even affluent people have no idea what proper English language is and there is no incentive for English language education to rise to a higher standard in Brazil). I also once heard a hypothesis by a Brazilian friend with a very unnoticeable accent: the Brazilians with no accent are those who are ashamed of being Brazilian and who went out of their way to study English a lot, focusing on not sounding Brazilian.
@@COl-rn5th Some accents aren't great but most American men find a woman with a Brazillian accent to be desirable. I speak Spanish so I was shocked at how fast the language changed from Argentina to Brazil.
@@SharpAssKnittingNeedles Well of course. That's my point the whole continent except Brazil speaks Spanish but to go from a place I could get along well to going to Portuguese where I had no Idea. Although some of the words and grammar are similar.
To me this video is like the most inspiring as well as entertaining and interesting video that you ever uploaded! 🥰 I immediately wanted to be a step further in life to come to the US! xD
Helped Me---- You have helped me some much in my ability to understand the mistakes we made when we visited Germany fifteen time over a period of five years. Our son married a Germany girl and they had three children while they were in Germany. Many American soldiers do marry German girls and it is a learning experience for the mans parents. Our son was in Schweinfurt for six years. Our son and his wife divorced about nine years later. This wife and three children moved back to Germany.
Thank you ! This was very interesting .... going to study & live in the US is a dream for many people ..... but my dream has been germany & when i finally went there .... with my tent, it was just wonderful ..... this happened after having li ed in Italy for over 20 years .... & i was so grateful for the positive attitude i found in Frankfurt am Main where Blanca Huber allowed me to have an exhibition of my paintings in the "Gewrker" workers Unions ..... i wanted to stay on but couldnt ....
My wife moved to the US at 22 as well. We got married just south of Frankfurt when I was stationed there. 2020 after nearly 18 years in the US we retired to Europe, Poland instead of Germany as much cheaper. Still go to Germany every few months. I miss many things of US but living in Europe has a different feel. My wife though misses the southern winters and her Polish/German is not as strong as it was before she moved to America.
Enjoyed the video, you do a great ad for Cincinatti! 😉 I fell in love with Germany when visiting my daughter who was studying abroad there. I'd totally move there in a heartbeat, so I was really interested to hear what made you want to stay here. I love that you're just trusting your gut and doing what brings you joy! Everybody does not have to love the same things or places, and there is no utopia, there will always be trade offs, though I still think western Germany around the Mosel is pretty close to perfect!❤
The big question for Feli: would you want become an American citizen since you’re already a permanent foreign national? Its the most awesome privilege in the world snd I became a US citizen when I turned 18 and I haven’t looked back.
@@tecumseh4095 you might not like the USA but facts are on the side of the person you commented on. The beautiful thing about USA is you can hate it all you want but it’s your freedom to do so and the safety nets are ridiculous for people coming here even more so than actual citizens! I wish more people thought like you and stop trying to illegally come here cause we have our own problems without taking in half of the world not including those who try to come illegally
Everyone hates on Cincinnati, but I lived in Cali and near DC. While I loved those places and had fun, I wouldn't want to live there longterm. I like Cinci, and have been happier here longterm than in Cali or DC. I do miss the plethora of museums in DC, though.
One of my biggest regrets was not doing an exchange abroad when I was in high school. Of course I would have chosen (West) Germany. Yes, it was West Germany when I was in high school.
I left home in Connecticut right after my bachelor’s degree and moved to Texas for a master’s degree. I thought that was a big shock, but it’s nothing compared to what you did.
I am a life time Cincinnatian partially because my Bavarian "Wemding" Grandfather came here when he was 18. He came through Ellis Island and had to have a sponsor and a job. He worked as a machine tool operator at the Cincinnati Milicron that was located off of Ridge Ave near the Target and Meier.
Would love to see/hear more of your media work in Germany when you were in college. Which begs the question: do you do any media work in German for Germans today?
2nd time viewer here from Buffalo , NY ( near Niagara Falls & Canada !) . Just subscribed. This British reaction channel brought me here. Waaay cool. Happy to have found you !! You maaay like 30 something , Chelsea Callahan’s videos here . Realistic NYC vlogger originally from Oregon. And . 30 sumthing , Vera, in the Netherlands at : Simple Happy Zen ! I’m not at all affiliated with them; just a tireless natural promoter of soul enriching stuff !! Love yer upbeat vibe ! Liz
I met my frau thirty six years ago at Venice Beach, CA. We married 2 and half months later and are still together. She loves the US, and CA in particular, for the personal freedom that it offers. Our kids are bilingual and have been back to Duisberg at least 16 times. They know their German side of the family better than the US. We both appreciate both.
Great show. So many great memories studying in Frankfurt Germany, taking Pan Am Clipper across the Atlantic all the time, moving to LA to start a new life in my computer job. It was a great time, I did not even know how great back then :)
Glad you like Cincy. I lived there from 1970-77, graduated 1974 from UC-CCM with a B.M.E. Been living now since 1977 in Switzerland outside of Basel. Came to Basel for one year to study externally at the Musik-Akademie der Stadt Basel, then got a job there, met my wife there and am now retired. Became Swiss in 2004. Greener pastures and all, gell?
If you move back to Germany, sounds like you can take the advantage of the pay leave they offer. And work life balance, I feel it’s better there. I am glad you like living in the US.
Speaking of private universities in the US, thanks to generous donations (and tax exemptions) there are plenty of scholarships to qualify for. In MIT, a third of students don't pay tuition fees and the average debt of its bachelors at graduation is lower than national average. For Harvard it depends and the tuition fee calculator is available on their web site. Out of curiosity I entered my country as Canada and family income as $40K. My fee was around $5K so it depends on many factors. I can't deny there are issues. Tuition fees climbed about twice the rate of inflation.
I love your story! Both the US and certain places in Europe are like home for me in different ways because I grew up in the Netherlands (3-12yrs old) and Austria (12-19yrs old) but my family is American. My husband and I are thinking about moving to Germany but not certain how long or when that would happen.
I did. I also moved from Stuttgart,Germany to the States when i was 22, in 1992 as a young Army wife, was married for 2 years with a 9 month old, our first duty station was in Washington State. My move was smooth, cause the Army took care of everything, the Green Card, the Move, the Housing....
That's an amazing story. I have watched your channel since about 2019 so I knew pieces of your story from that but i never heard the whole story until now. Thank you and best of luck to you and Ben in whatever you choose to do.
When you get married you will need to learn to lead your heart, not follow it as your feelings will be and flow. By leading your heart you will stay committed to your husband and during hard times because we are not perfect leading your heart will be an active choice, sometimes on a day by day basis. All the best.
*The Follow-Up Q&A Video is out now!* 😊ruclips.net/video/FwPSxq2CSS0/видео.html
This video took me down memory lane! It's crazy that I've already lived here for over 6 years now... 😅 Do you have any follow-up questions? Let me know in the comments! 👇
Does America have more flavors of ice cream than Germany?
Have you tried them all?
Do you like Pastrami pizza?
Are you going to go to Super Nintendo Land (Universal Studios) when it opens?
If so, would you go to the one in Florida or the one in California?
Where did you learn to speak English so well? You speak better English than a good share of Americans.
@@cousinfester4621 . Ditto to that. Also, have you become a citizen yet?
I can identify with a lot of what you said. After my fist contact with Americans in my native Poland I fell in love with the people and soon after, the country. Every time I would visit America, I would cry when I had to leave. Today I am living my dream, in the USA of course, green card for life, and soon getting my citizenship!!!!
Congrats Jake, glad to have you here!!!
Way to go! We need hard working people like you to help us pay off our $31 trillion national. How much can you hold?
you're orginally from Poland? do you speak polish?
@@tecumseh4095 I’m doing my best, working and paying taxes!!!
@@Hallo81398 yes I still do!
Feli filled in the space I had left open in Ohio. I came from Columbus to Germany for my year after college; that was 1986. Now I have two sons and a daughter, all adults who grew up over here. And that developed for me more or less the way she tells her story -- it was the never the master plan, it's just that one thing leads to another. Moin aus Hamburg!
That was so interesting! I had a very similar experience, but in the other direction. I moved from NY to Vienna after college at about the same age as Feli to work on my Master's degree. My first two years here were like living a fantasy dream. I met the most INCREDIBLE people, had the most AMAZING fun, did things I could have never imagined doing, traveled all over Europe from the Arctic Circle in Finland, Norway and Sweden all the way down to Southern Italy. Along the way I met dukes and princes, farmers and airline pilots, tiny little grannies who regaled me with stories about WWII, saw the most curious cultural traditions (e.g. Czech women getting spanked at Easter!), ate the most delicious food, partied like it was the end of the world and met a few true-blue lifelong friends that I could never imagine living without. Just like Feli, I can honestly say that this experience has allowed me to find myself and to really open my eyes to the rest of the world, learning different languages, learning different cultures, learning different ways of thinking and of doing things - this was THE BEST decision I've ever made, period!
That was 20 years ago and I'm still here, and still loving it. I love that Vienna offers all the major conveniences but without any of the hassle of NY. People keep asking me if I'll ever return to NY, and I honestly don't have an answer. I never actually planned to stay here as long as I did, it just happened. But I love the European culture and way of life and can't see myself returning to the US anytime soon. So don't be surprised Feli, if you find yourself still living in Cincinnati 20 years from now...😉
As an Austrian I love to read that :) Cheers from a Viennese suburb :)
Vienna trumps USA any day of the week………….from someone who knows
@@alanpowell24 all depends on the person.
@@brownjatt21 More or less, though anyone with any degree of reason would prefer Vienna over the US in its entirety
@@MW_Asura just simply not true, everyone has different tastes. One individual might love the atmosphere of Vienna and at the same time another might hate it for various reasons. That's why this is a useless argument.
Your story was well told. Now I understand why your channel is so good. Media is your life.
Good to hear such a detailed recounting! I still think we (the US) got the better part of this deal! Thrilled to have you stateside, doing what you do. Hope Ben isn't too upset about the Bengals! Have a great week, Feli--another great video!
Bengals suck
Bin in den USA geboren (1964 in Fort Campbell, Kentucky), wir sind ein Jahr später aber wieder rüber nach Deutschland.
Seitdem nicht wieder in den Staaten gewesen, bin mehr Großbritannien Fan, war mehrere Male dort.
Freut mich aber, dass es dir gut dort gefällt, und du einen so netten Freund hast. 🙂
So cool to hear other people’s stories.
I went to the US as an exchange student in 2016 as well (but I was just 16 and did a Highschool exchange). I met my now husband there and went back and forth until I finally got my fiancé visa in 2019. Now I finally have my Green-card, and hearing you talk about all the paperwork/appointments really brought back all the dreadful memories of climbing over this endless mountain of papers. 😅😓
P.S. I’m from Berlin 🇩🇪 😊
Feli you are such a cheerful and broadly -speaking automatic diplomat for both American and Germany relations on both sides of the Atlantic. You (and your boyfriend ) and families should be proud of the insights and tenacity to apply yourself to work and great endeavors including house VERMOEGEN and everything I Really hope that you get a great position in Goethe Institute to foster North American and Germany and EU relations. Please keep it going and have others learn the languages and making friends and giving constant enthusiasm on both sides of the Atlantic. It is your talent in so many ways. Gruesse aus NYC
Don’t let that fool you. Its all just a ruse. We deep down know that she is secretly a spy sent here to spy on the US. This RUclips channel is just a coverup /s
love this
Cincinnati is a great city. I’ve never lived there but visiting a few times has made me think it’s really underrated
I wonder what effect WKRP in Cincinnati TV show has had in drawing visitors to the city.
This is such an interesting and inspiring video, thank you for sharing your story with us! Greetings from Germany :)
I saw the video of you introducing your boyfriend. You two all but devoured each other with your eyes. It was so heartening to see true love again blooming and beaming from the two of you. Hoch sollt ihr leben!
As a former Cincinnatian, I've enjoyed your channel and podcasts for many years, from the early ones in front of that beautiful fireplace (in Clifton?) to your new home (in the suburbs?). Learned so much about modern Germany, language, culture and about my home town. Congratulations on your achievements. Looking forward to more interesting videos and podcasts.
Hallo Feli, ich spiele schon seit Jahren mit dem Gedanken in die USA auszuwandern. Jetzt ist der Gedanke wieder sehr akut, ich bin über deine Videos zur Green Card Lotterie auf deinen Kanal aufmerksam geworden.
Auch ich möchte es über die Lotterie versuchen, auch wenn das natürlich ein Glücksspiel ist. Ich bin immer so ambivalent bzgl USA, einerseits geht es einem in Deutschland sehr gut, in der Not wird man aufgefangen. Das hat man im dem Ausmaß drüben ja nicht. Ich habe wirklich Respekt vor dieser Umstellung, auch das Thema Gesundheitsversorgung. Andererseits will ich im Alter nicht sagen müssen "hättest du es mal probiert"... irgendwie habe ich schon immer im Gefühl gehabt, woanders leben zu wollen.
Ich glaube, ich werde es dieses Jahr auch mal in der Lotterie versuchen. Ich habe ja nichts zu verlieren 😊
One interesting video! I am actually doing an exchange semester right now in Germany, living in a shared flat with people from all around the world! Have travelled before, but this experience is unforgettable- first time in Germany and I was alone! Going back home in late March, can't wait to see my closest people!
Grüße aus München, so ganz nebenbei 😉 Meine Urgroßmutter war Native American, mein Dad wurde in Texas geboren, also bin ich gerade dabei, meine Wurzeln zu erkunden. Ich hoffe, ich schaffe es dieses Jahr mal in die USA. Bin aber bestens gerüstet, u.a. dank deiner Videos. 👍
Du machst mir so Hoffnung ich will nichts mehr als endlich mit meinem Freund aus Dayton,OH zusammen leben❤
10:43 only known picture in existence of Feli without that big smile on her face
I enjoyed this confident free-spirited video. Not planning anything is the best way to live in my opinion. Leaving the comfort zone always opens doors, builds confidence, and leads to some of the most amazing adventures in life. I've hired many exchange students and helped them get their H1B, Green Card, and some have become US citizens. All of them have amazing stories that brought them to the US.
I am very happy for you that you have built such a nice life there and that you feel comfortable. Lovely Greetings from northern Germany.☺
Feli, I get it when you say that your transition from Germany to the US was less part of a plan and more of something that just kind of "happened". I am much older than you and I have lived my entire life in just such a manner and I don't regret any part of it. If and/or when you should decide to move back to Germany, promise us that you will still produce and post these wonderful videos that are both entertaining and informative.
Thanks for the details Feli. I'm an American living in Tbilisi Georgia. I've been here 4 years now and I'll be doing a four year report soon, and your video gave me some new ideas of what kind of information to include.
That college party culture at a lot of the schools sometimes depends on the school you attend and/or the sorority or fraternity you're associated with.
Hey Feli! I realized from this video that I went to UC the same time as you since I graduated in 2017! I’m glad it was such a positive experience for you there. We are happy to have you in Cincinnati! Thanks for making such an informative channel and talking so positively about our city. Cincinnati is very underrated even in the US. We have come a long way in the last 15 years!
You should visit Milwaukee during Oktoberfest. Milwaukee was settled by many Germans in the 1800s. It is the beer capital of the US.
Canada is most multinational country. I have worked for companies HQ'd in Quebec, Germany, UK, NL, and USA, and worked closely with so many ppl who are ESL. You have a completely indistinguishable accent after 6 years of living in US. Amazed.
You explanation about "Why Cincinnati?" is perfect. Ultimately it comes down to people of course. If you listen to Anthony Munoz for example, it was the people that got him hooked on the place. Yea, we're that nice. As amazing as this country is, and the selection of where to go for a foreigner is wide and deep, it's tough to beat this place. I am not being jingoistic, I lived in Greater Boston for three years. It's a great place, but it ain't here. I was an early adopter of this channel, thanks for filling in the blanks.
yes, sounds like she is a bit tired of all the Cincy hate, from folks like me
What a great story. You are easy to listen to: nice pace and very clear, and you pack a lot of content into your videos, especially this one.
I love your attitude and outlook on life. It’s obvious you’ll do well at whatever you’ll set your mind to. Best wishes for continued success and fun!
Ohhhh, I remember taking ETS tests when I was in college becoming a teacher. I once saw a young woman start going through a test before the proctor said we could begin and he took her test and said, "Buh-bye!" to her while she began to cry. A story I make sure I relate every year before state testing.
Hallo Feli! Ich möchte nur mal Danke für die tollen Videos sagen! Ich komme aus der Nähe von Köln und höre Dich teilweise über Stunden auf der Arbeit und verstehe mittlerweile fast alles.
Mach weiter so! Liebe Grüße! Achim Kretz
I too moved to the US when I was 22... and ended up in Cincinnati as well! Thanks for sharing your story. If you're ever in the mood to visit Cincinnati Museum Center, let me know and I'll hook you up!
I think she's already hooked up.
@@omegamale7880 uhh 😏😆
Cool story. I was an exchange student to Argentina in 1975. years later in 1995 I went to work there on a mining project because I'm a geologist. when I was in high school we had to choose a language and take two years of it we could choose from Spanish, German, Russian or French. I chose Spanish but I've always been interested in Germany because half my ancestors came from there and Holland. I traveled around Europe for a year after my first year of college. I spent some time in Germany around Berchtesgaden. I like the episode about movies with German speakers in them like Inglorious Basterds and different war movies. I always thought how difficult it would be to speak a new language without an accent. congratulations to Felicia. I wish her lots of luck. I think she has a bright future.
Does Feli speak without an accent in English? I'm not American and to me she sounds as if she has a fully American accent, I can barely hear a German accent. However, I can't hear the difference between Canadian and most American accents, so sure I'm missing something.
@@kooltom4 yes she sounds very American, but she says Chile in a very German accent!!!! So my ears can tell she's German. I speak German too .
Totally not arguing that I have a German accent but we say Chile very differently in German actually 😅
@@FelifromGermany I think your English is excellent. I've only heard you say a few things different from a native English speaker. Once you said "teached" instead of "taught" in the video about how you came to America and as part of your scholarship requirements you taught German at the college. I wish my Spanish was as good as your English. You're fun to listen to.
This was a fun video Feli. Cincinnati gets a bad rap sometimes and it isn't really fair. Glad to hear you are enjoying it. Not studying abroad during college is one of my greatest regrets. By the time I realized I wanted to try it, I was so far along in school that none of the credits I could get would have counted towards my degree.
I do live in San Antonio Texas for right now just lived in Würzburg for almost 42 years reminds me of her life story
Another European (British, in his case) who appreciates Midwestern life is Laurence Brown, who moved to Indiana with his American wife whom he married in England. His channel, called Lost in the Pond, like your channel, discusses cultural differences between his former environment and his current one. In fact, both channels are what I call "expat channels" which are quite common on RUclips. I have to say that yours is one of the better ones, in content and production.
Did you know that Laurence, like Feli, is now a homeowner?
I like his channel too. He is living in illinois i guess, chicago area.
@@kenhenderson1762 Yup. He's recently done two videos about it: one to show viewers around the house, another to show quirky things about the house that he had never seen before.
Hi Feli, so fröhlich, wie du dieses Video präsentiert hast, scheint es, dass dein Bauchgefühl dich bisher immer gut beraten hat. Mach' so weiter, ich wünsche Dir alles Gute und freue mich auf deine kommenden Videos.
Very interesting! I was born in the USA and have always lived here. It is fun to hear your origin story. I’ve always wondered how you ended up in Cincinnati. Thanks for sharing!
I played at 75% speed to relax and catch everything, with SO much info in 27 minutes! ❤ your grin and “Why not try it?” outlook. Best to you both as you look ahead while enjoying today.
Very interesting story. Sounds like you had a bit of luck the way things just kind of fell into place. I really enjoy your channel and when you & Josh do Understanding Train Station
Nothing wrong with Cincy, (except skyline chili) i live in Illinois and the company i worked at had a plant in Cincy so i was there every once in awhile, nice city with a beautiful downtown and river front, i am actually thinking of going to watch my cardinals beat on the reds this summer and check out the ballpark. As far as living in the usa goes the midwest is not a bad choice there are good and bad things about every region, so live where you are happy and comfortable!
We play water pong instead of beer pong for two reasons: 1) more inclusive, and 2) water affects the aerodynamics of the ball differently than beer and many high level throwers over here prefer the water aero over the beer aero. It’s a very high level meta strategy decision that was only recently explained to me, a decade-plus beer pong veteran, by a true legend in the game. And no, I am not joking.
That's quite and interesting journey you've had! I appreciate your chipper attitude and your willingness to try new things. Not everyone does that and I think they miss out because of it. Thanks for sharing your story with us!
Her chipper, bubbly way is so not German though...
I wonder if she was like that before her American experience...
I enjoyed your story so very much. I have had so far, a wonderful life, loving wife of 50 years, two great daughters, two very successful son-in-laws and five smart, healthy grand kids. Keep living your life as you want and you will be rich with love and happiness,
I’ve never been to a college party since I never went to college but I’ve been to plenty of parties that played beer pong but we never used water in the cups. Learn something new everyday.
I did the same exact thing but moved from the USA to France.
Wow. This was fascinating. I did a similar-but-different thing as a young-20s adult: moved to Berlin to study/work, with the goal of learning German as deeply as I could. I ended up staying for two years, teaching English mostly at the Volkshochschule.
This was the longest of your videos that I’ve watched, I think, and I confess that while watching, I’m constantly distracted by the following: I simply cannot detect almost ANY trace of a German accent whatsoever, nor any Germanisms or non-idiomatic usages. The closest I heard in this one was an occasional “houssing” (hard S) for “housing”, but that was it. I have never heard anyone with so much American English fluency who didn’t in fact grow up in a bilingual family. So kudos.
Really enjoy your stories..my grandfather & grandmother were both from Germany though I never knew much about it...I understand my grandfather came to the US to avoid being drafted by the Russians, so he was a draft dodger (good) not sure about my grandma... I'm from Cleveland, extremely north of Cincy, but there is a very large presence German presence here also...keep up these great cultural stories!
Thank you so much for sharing your inspiring story 🥰
Speaking of sports: it must have been hard to experience the loss of the Bengals in the last year's Super Bowl and this year's AFC Championship Game 😢
Feli, Super cool that American culture brought out a part of you that you like. Great to hear. Congrats on all the hard work. All the best in the future. Schau ma mal ! 🇺🇸🇩🇪 Also, great to hear a good word about the Midwest- it is what you make it! Tschüss!!
I really enjoyed this story, reminds me of my study abroad days in Europe. Best time of my younger life
It's sad but true that many people suffer from upper East Coast snobbishness. They view New York and Los Angeles as the only important cities in the U S. All that stuff in the middle is merely "the flyover" [ the boring stuff you have to suffer through to get to the other sparkling, prestigious city on the other coast ]
They willfully ignore the fact that there are many fancy cities with lots of good restaurants, prestigious cultural institutions , and populations of more than a million people.
The U S does have towns that consist of 500 people and 500 farm animals but they are not that common.
I love you feel ! ^_^ thank you so much for continued incredible content
I'm an American and have family married to foreign nationals (Mexico; Brazil; and Germany).
All the spouses are fluent in English, but their accents have varied from none to very heavy.
I know you've addressed the topic in a previous post, but I'm still left wondering if you had much of a German accent when you arrived in Cincinnati either as a student or as a German language teacher?
Did you have a talent for English pronunciation as you learned the language, or did you make a conscious effort to lose all trace of your first language?
Also, did you have the choice of learning English with the British pronunciation and word spellings vs. that of the U.S.?
As a Brazilian, speaking for the Brazilian spouse: most Brazilians have very poor access to good, quality English language education, so their accents tend to be heavy and weird. I constantly hope that mine is less weird than the Brazilian accents that I usually hear...
So maybe the heavy accents are a consequence of socioeconomic status at home or overall availability of proper English language education in their home countries. (I feel that in the Brazilian case even affluent people have no idea what proper English language is and there is no incentive for English language education to rise to a higher standard in Brazil).
I also once heard a hypothesis by a Brazilian friend with a very unnoticeable accent: the Brazilians with no accent are those who are ashamed of being Brazilian and who went out of their way to study English a lot, focusing on not sounding Brazilian.
@@COl-rn5th Some accents aren't great but most American men find a woman with a Brazillian accent to be desirable. I speak Spanish so I was shocked at how fast the language changed from Argentina to Brazil.
@@anthonyfuqua6988 😬 the European language in Brazil is Portuguese not Spanish. That might have something to do with it
@@SharpAssKnittingNeedles Well of course. That's my point the whole continent except Brazil speaks Spanish but to go from a place I could get along well to going to Portuguese where I had no Idea. Although some of the words and grammar are similar.
To me this video is like the most inspiring as well as entertaining and interesting video that you ever uploaded! 🥰 I immediately wanted to be a step further in life to come to the US! xD
I LOVE my hometown! YaY Cincinnati!! Though I live in Florida now.
i'm glad your here and you seem so happy and i loved the video
You are wise beyond your years!
Helped Me---- You have helped me some much in my ability to understand the mistakes we made when we visited Germany fifteen time over a period of five years. Our son married a Germany girl and they had three children while they were in Germany. Many American soldiers do marry German girls and it is a learning experience for the mans parents. Our son was in Schweinfurt for six years. Our son and his wife divorced about nine years later. This wife and three children moved back to Germany.
What did you learn from her that helped you? What mistakes were made? Did your family accidentally run the daughter-in-law out of town?
Thank you ! This was very interesting .... going to study & live in the US is a dream for many people ..... but my dream has been germany & when i finally went there .... with my tent, it was just wonderful ..... this happened after having li ed in Italy for over 20 years .... & i was so grateful for the positive attitude i found in Frankfurt am Main where Blanca Huber allowed me to have an exhibition of my paintings in the "Gewrker" workers Unions ..... i wanted to stay on but couldnt ....
Met my German now ex while doing some sailboat racing in the UK in 22 at age 34, moved to Germany at 35 and it will be 23 years here before too long
This is wild because I think I'd like to move to Munich from Cincinnati
My wife moved to the US at 22 as well. We got married just south of Frankfurt when I was stationed there. 2020 after nearly 18 years in the US we retired to Europe, Poland instead of Germany as much cheaper. Still go to Germany every few months. I miss many things of US but living in Europe has a different feel. My wife though misses the southern winters and her Polish/German is not as strong as it was before she moved to America.
Enjoyed the video, you do a great ad for Cincinatti! 😉 I fell in love with Germany when visiting my daughter who was studying abroad there. I'd totally move there in a heartbeat, so I was really interested to hear what made you want to stay here. I love that you're just trusting your gut and doing what brings you joy! Everybody does not have to love the same things or places, and there is no utopia, there will always be trade offs, though I still think western Germany around the Mosel is pretty close to perfect!❤
The big question for Feli: would you want become an American citizen since you’re already a permanent foreign national? Its the most awesome privilege in the world snd I became a US citizen when I turned 18 and I haven’t looked back.
“It’s the most awesome privilege in the world” Is that an opinion or fact? If it’s a fact where can i get the data that shows that?
@@tecumseh4095 because the USA takes in over half of the worlds immigrants who will risk death just to come here. Does that help.
@@tecumseh4095 you might not like the USA but facts are on the side of the person you commented on. The beautiful thing about USA is you can hate it all you want but it’s your freedom to do so and the safety nets are ridiculous for people coming here even more so than actual citizens! I wish more people thought like you and stop trying to illegally come here cause we have our own problems without taking in half of the world not including those who try to come illegally
@@Jsodat What??? You are one brainwashed individual if you think that.
111 on TOEFL means you speak, read and comprehend English better than most native, English-speaking Americans!
Thanks for describing your journey and why you like Cincinnati.
Everyone hates on Cincinnati, but I lived in Cali and near DC. While I loved those places and had fun, I wouldn't want to live there longterm. I like Cinci, and have been happier here longterm than in Cali or DC. I do miss the plethora of museums in DC, though.
One of my biggest regrets was not doing an exchange abroad when I was in high school. Of course I would have chosen (West) Germany. Yes, it was West Germany when I was in high school.
Feli aus Deutschland, wir lieben dich!
Ohio is a good state. The midwest is the best area to live in the USA. People are down to earth and geniune.
I've really enjoyed watching many hours of Feli these last several days. Always wondering about her degrees. Finally got my answer in this one!
I left home in Connecticut right after my bachelor’s degree and moved to Texas for a master’s degree. I thought that was a big shock, but it’s nothing compared to what you did.
Everything you experienced was meant for you since the beginning ❤
Thank you Feli for a pleasant, informative video
I am a life time Cincinnatian partially because my Bavarian "Wemding" Grandfather came here when he was 18. He came through Ellis Island and had to have a sponsor and a job. He worked as a machine tool operator at the Cincinnati Milicron that was located off of Ridge Ave near the Target and Meier.
You English fluency never fails to amaze me - great vocabulary and no noticeable accent.
Feli…you’re always such a fresh breath of air. Thanks for elaborating on your experience. I can’t wait to randomly meet you somewhere.
I want to live in Germany. Badin Badin. To work on genealogies and see the old countries.
I loved hearing your experience and wish you continued success.
Would love to see/hear more of your media work in Germany when you were in college. Which begs the question: do you do any media work in German for Germans today?
Great video! You were very lucky with your green card. I know sometimes who wants to study in the US so I am going to share this with them.
Very lucky!! :)
2nd time viewer here from Buffalo , NY ( near Niagara Falls & Canada !) . Just subscribed. This British reaction channel brought me here. Waaay cool. Happy to have found you !! You maaay like 30 something , Chelsea Callahan’s videos here . Realistic NYC vlogger originally from Oregon. And . 30 sumthing , Vera, in the Netherlands at : Simple Happy Zen ! I’m not at all affiliated with them; just a tireless natural promoter of soul enriching stuff !! Love yer upbeat vibe ! Liz
Amazing video, you always boost my energy and motivation
I met my frau thirty six years ago at Venice Beach, CA. We married 2 and half months later and are still together. She loves the US, and CA in particular, for the personal freedom that it offers. Our kids are bilingual and have been back to Duisberg at least 16 times. They know their German side of the family better than the US. We both appreciate both.
Great show. So many great memories studying in Frankfurt Germany, taking Pan Am Clipper across the Atlantic all the time, moving to LA to start a new life in my computer job. It was a great time, I did not even know how great back then :)
That's new! When I was at Uni we played beer pong with beer in our cups.... definitely sounds cleaner....now that I think about it.
Glad you like Cincy. I lived there from 1970-77, graduated 1974 from UC-CCM with a B.M.E. Been living now since 1977 in Switzerland outside of Basel. Came to Basel for one year to study externally at the Musik-Akademie der Stadt Basel, then got a job there, met my wife there and am now retired. Became Swiss in 2004. Greener pastures and all, gell?
If you move back to Germany, sounds like you can take the advantage of the pay leave they offer. And work life balance, I feel it’s better there. I am glad you like living in the US.
Great video and history, Feli. I'm a year late watching it, but that's ok 👍 Really enjoyed it. Keep doing them 🍻
I almost spit my coffee all over when you said "It's not like it's this S***hole...". I totally was not expecting that. That really made me laugh!
Speaking of private universities in the US, thanks to generous donations (and tax exemptions) there are plenty of scholarships to qualify for. In MIT, a third of students don't pay tuition fees and the average debt of its bachelors at graduation is lower than national average. For Harvard it depends and the tuition fee calculator is available on their web site. Out of curiosity I entered my country as Canada and family income as $40K. My fee was around $5K so it depends on many factors.
I can't deny there are issues. Tuition fees climbed about twice the rate of inflation.
I love your story! Both the US and certain places in Europe are like home for me in different ways because I grew up in the Netherlands (3-12yrs old) and Austria (12-19yrs old) but my family is American. My husband and I are thinking about moving to Germany but not certain how long or when that would happen.
Thanks!
I did. I also moved from Stuttgart,Germany to the States when i was 22, in 1992 as a young Army wife, was married for 2 years with a 9 month old, our first duty station was in Washington State. My move was smooth, cause the Army took care of everything, the Green Card, the Move, the Housing....
I am trying to study and live in Germany one day 🇺🇸🇩🇪
So glad you are here you are a pillar for both countries
That's an amazing story. I have watched your channel since about 2019 so I knew pieces of your story from that but i never heard the whole story until now. Thank you and best of luck to you and Ben in whatever you choose to do.
When you get married you will need to learn to lead your heart, not follow it as your feelings will be and flow. By leading your heart you will stay committed to your husband and during hard times because we are not perfect leading your heart will be an active choice, sometimes on a day by day basis. All the best.
Hello Feli If you want to go to my American alma mater, the first thing they ask you to do is take the TEFL
Test of English As A Foreign Language