CaliforniaGermans

All Things German In California

Expat interview

Born an Expat. Always an Expat. – Tania Stappard, Voice Over Talent & Future Life Coach (Interview)

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XPAT Spotlight – Interview with Tania Stappard, who has been living the expat-life since childhood. Born to expat parents she learned early on to juggle two cultures and different ways of life.

At Boarding School, Baden-Baden

Tania Stappard was born to German parents, who raised her in Paris, France . Her mom was from Hamburg and her dad was from Munich (North meets South, this was a cultural experience in itself). Tania’s father, a diplomat, saw her mother, an actress, on stage in Munich and fell in love with her and “kidnapped” her to Paris. Growing up in Paris, Tania attended a German school in Paris (DSP) and spent the last four years in boarding school at the Pädagogium in Baden-Baden. After the Abitur, she moved to L.A. with her sister and spent her twenties in West Hollywood. Later, when she started a family of her own she moved to Santa Monica and now lives in Ventura County, about 37 miles from L.A.

Tania, what made you decide to move to California? [Read more…] about Born an Expat. Always an Expat. – Tania Stappard, Voice Over Talent & Future Life Coach (Interview)

Cherishing Her Love for Two Countries While Helping Fellow Expats – Barbara Kempen (Interview)

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Barbara KempenXPAT Spotlight – Interview with Barbara Kempen, business owner, and nature lover, who manages to combine the two cultures she loves in her daily work while helping fellow expats. 

Born in Cologne, Germany, Barbara Kempen has moved to Los Angeles about 30 years ago. She arrived in L.A. as a young student and was fascinated by the magic of the American dream. She decided to stay, raise a family and start a business of her own. She knows life in Los Angeles inside out and can tell you a story or two on what it takes to make it or break it here in California. 

What made you leave Germany and choose California as your new home?

I was 24 years old when I finished my Diplom Kauffrau (similar to MBA) at the University in Cologne. As I was very young I wanted to gain some work experience abroad. During that year I worked for Lufthansa in Marketing and Controlling in Los Angeles and met my ex-husband. Instead of returning to Germany I started a career in the fashion industry and was a successful fabric sourcing specialist for several LA companies and often traveled abroad. [Read more…] about Cherishing Her Love for Two Countries While Helping Fellow Expats – Barbara Kempen (Interview)

The Desire for Adventure Across the Pond made Rita Reiff leave Berlin for California (Interview)

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Rita Reiff GASA

XPAT Spotlight – Interview with Rita Reiff, an integral part of the German speaking community of Southern California.

Rita, originally from Berlin, is a well-known member of the German community in Southern California. German speaking families with children especially appreciate her engagement as president of GASA, the local German American School Association. As an indispensable part of the German community in Southern California, Rita Reiff was awarded the Cross of the Order of Merit (Bundesverdienstkreuz) in 2014.

Together with her husband, Rita came to the United States as a young woman. They courageously left everything in Germany behind, ready to live the American Dream! [Read more…] about The Desire for Adventure Across the Pond made Rita Reiff leave Berlin for California (Interview)