E32 - German in the USA

In this episode of Coming to America, the host speaks with Meike Bradley, an immigrant from Hamburg, Germany, who first arrived in Portland in 2005 as an au pair on a J-1 visa. Meike shares what it was like growing up in Hamburg—independence, public transit, and a strong cultural scene—then explains how a failed visa extension sent her back to Germany before she found a way to return and planned to study at PSU. She ultimately studied international business management in Breda, Netherlands, while returning to Portland each summer after meeting her future husband through her host family. Now a mom of three girls (including twins), she discusses language at home, travel back to Europe, differences between Germany and the U.S. around structure, hierarchy, and family support, and her upcoming jewelry brand -https://www.baubledots.com/