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All Things German In California

XPAT Spotlight

‘Wine, the Elixir of Life’ – Continuing a Legacy of German Winemaking in California. (Interview)

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IMG_9478XPAT – Spotlight – Interview with Claudia Schug Schuetz, Partner at Schug Carneros Estate Winery.

Claudia, a dual citizen of Germany and the USA, has experienced both worlds, only the other way around compared with most of us expats.

Born in California and raised in Napa Valley, she has the wine business in her genes! She learned about wine from one of the most respected winemakers in California; her father Walter Schug. Both of her grandparents were part of this education as well, who were highly accomplished winemakers in Germany, with the Staatsweingut Assmaannshausen in the Rheingau and the Weingut Annaberg in the Pfalz.

After earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics at Stanford University she moved to Germany in 1988 and lived for almost 30 years in North Rhine-Westphalia, where her ex-husband was from. There she started a California wine import and distribution business, worked as a wine educator, and served even as an international wine judge. From 2012-2017 she was California Wine Institute’s Trade Education Ambassador in Germany before she relocated to Sonoma in July 2017 to join her brother in managing her family winery, Schug Carneros Estate Winery. [Read more…] about ‘Wine, the Elixir of Life’ – Continuing a Legacy of German Winemaking in California. (Interview)

Following Your Dream – A Challenging Experience at Times! (Interview)

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DSC_5917XPAT Spotlight – Interview with Franziska Steinmetz originally from Barleben near Magdeburg in Saxony-Anhalt.

Persistence, flexibility, and determination mark Franziska’s path of making her dream of living in California a reality.

When she traveled to the USA for the first time as a teenager, Franziska was bewitched by the beauty of California and decided to check out the U.S. as soon as she had finished school. She chose to become an au pair to find out if living in the United States was something she would like to pursue.

Today, Franziska lives in Alameda, CA, but her search for a way to make California her home forever isn’t over just yet. 

Read about her challenging journey in our interview. [Read more…] about Following Your Dream – A Challenging Experience at Times! (Interview)

It’s Not Always Just Sunny in California – A Different Perspective (Interview)

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XPAT Spotlight – Interview with Desiree Perez, my BFF and CEO of Aviation Leadership Academy

Growing up together in Germany, Desiree and I both immigrated to the United States in 2011.  For the first four years, she resided in Texas before her career brought her to Los Angeles in 2015.  During her time in California, Desiree faced some crucial challenges that made her rethink her move as well as her career choice.

In this interview, Desiree shares her raw and honest perspective about living in California, why it is not her dream come true, and how her experience resulted in a career change. [Read more…] about It’s Not Always Just Sunny in California – A Different Perspective (Interview)

Reaching For The Stars! Hollywood Here I Come. (Interview)

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XPAT Spotlight – Interview with German Actor Constantin Cascante

Graduating German high school (Gymnasium) with accolades and having won prizes in subjects like Economy, French and Latin, Constantin Cascante was expected to continue his path in the academics and go for a career in medicine, business or law. But to the surprise of everyone and against all odds Constantin chose a much unexpected path.

He decided to pursue his passion since childhood. Acting!

In search of the ‘American Dream’, he set out for his adventure and left Germany at the age of 19. After stops in Oxford and New York, he finally ended up in Hollywood – a dream come true for all actors.

Born in Tübingen and raised in Stuttgart, Constantin now lives in Studio City in Los Angeles.

Constantin, you’re living THE dream! You were in the midst of preparing for entrance exams to get into Oxford when you suddenly changed course and decided to follow your childhood dream of becoming an actor.

Instead of Oxford, you set out to make it in the film industry. Today, you are in fact successfully working in the industry. I am sure it wasn’t just as easy as it all sounds… [Read more…] about Reaching For The Stars! Hollywood Here I Come. (Interview)

XPAT Spotlight – A New Interview Series Starting this Friday

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XPAT Spotlight – A New Interview Series Starting this Friday

To celebrate our new website we are launching a new monthly series this Friday:

 – XPAT Spotlight – 

Following our principles to offer you a personal look into living here in California through our stories, articles, and reports on things, that we experience here in this beautiful State ourselves, we have feverishly worked on this new series for you.

We are so excited that it’s finally happening and we have some interesting stories for you lined up. Every last Friday of the month we will surprise you with a new installment of our XPAT Spotlight.

Ever wonder what brings other expats out here to live in California? How do they make life in California work for them? What do they do for a living? And, how about if a wave of ‘Heimweh’ is catching on to them?

This and more you’ll read in our interviews with expats, who have left their home in Austria, Germany or Switzerland to come live here in California.

People, like you and me, share with us their stories and adventures of making California their new home. You learn of their struggles and get to celebrate their successes. You witness how some have reinvented themselves while others came here with a firm idea and strong conviction of what they want to accomplish here.

Read for yourself and be touched by the experiences of other expats. Get inspired!

Our first XPAT Spotlight is all about famous Hollywood and the world of acting! 

 

Image Credits: pixabay.com