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Monday, March 2, 2015

My Friend Pia

Pia and I at the Dresden International School.  
Today is my friend's Pia birthday.

We met at the Dresden International School.  Our husband's were both working in Germany, and our kids were students at the school.  My kids had been there since September;  Pia's kids were new to the school in December.  I had been living in Germany for 5 months, when Pia first moved to Dresden, Germany.

When your kids go to an international school, you immediately find comfort with the people from your nationality.  I had my American friends, and I naturally made lots of friendships with people from other countries.  My friend Mona, was from Germany.  My friend Bibi, was from Malaysia.  My friend Angie was from New Zealand.  I loved making friends with all of these intinguing women, but I did find my comfort  in my American friends.

I remember when I met Pia.  She was walking through the doors of the elementary building, and she was having troubles opening up the doors, since she had her 3 year-old daughter in the stroller.  I held the door for her, and I immediately knew she was American since she said thank you in an American way, without the hesitation or accent.  And she smiled at me.  Americans smile all the time.  I smiled back and made a comment about the weather that morning.  I remember it was so icy out, that people were falling all over the place on the busy sidewalks of the city outside the international school.  It was her first week living in Germany.

We became instant friends.  We would drop off the kids at school, and go to Starbucks.  We had lunches together.  Her daughter always in the stroller with us;  I adored her as well.  Then her parents came to visit, and I loved them.  

Pia and I talked about our lives.  We loved every minute of our lives in Dresden, Germany.  We knew we were lucky to be living in such an amazing city, and showing our kids (literally) the world with our travels.  We were always laughing, but we also poured our souls out.  

My husband was assigned to move back to  New York that July, and I remember having lunch with Pia and her daughter, and her son.  Her parents, who were living in Italy at the time, came back to visit, and we all had a good-bye lunch together.  My husband's company was putting us up for 2 nights in a hotel in the city center, since the moving company had already boxed our things.  We stood in front of the hotel and cried.  We had to say good-bye.  I loved this woman.  I loved her friendliness and her positive energy.  She was my perfect friend.  But I know, my life-long friend.

Pia stayed in Germany for one more year.    Her husband got relocated to Portland, Oregon.  My husband's family lives there, so we plan on visiting this summer, and I hope to spend some time with her.  

Today is her birthday.  I wish her the happiest of birthdays.  

3 comments:

  1. Your post showed how our paths literally cross with the people we are meant to be friends with. How wonderful that you had that time together!
    Happy birthday to Pia!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your post showed how our paths literally cross with the people we are meant to be friends with. How wonderful that you had that time together!
    Happy birthday to Pia!

    ReplyDelete
  3. At different times in my life I was an ex-pat mom (Lima. Peru) and a military wife overseas (Japan and Panama). Your words ring so true- "I naturally made lots of friendships with people from other countries." and " We became instant friends." Both of those things can happen so easily when you live in another country. How great that you will get to visit your life-long friend again!

    ReplyDelete