The Great Network
Profiles
GNet Home AboutGNet GNetProfiles GNetMaps GNetMessageBoard ejr Home ejrContact
Tessa Thompson
I
don't even know where to start... I can't believe a decade has almost
passed since our journey to Nederland.... so many things have happend.
After my return from Holland I was a senior in high school, and thus still
didn't know about this thing called email (and was thus not a part of
GNet).
For those of you who returned to high school, I'm sure you can relate to the oddity of it all.... I felt years ahead of my classmates in life experiences and the "big events" in school (ie prom, homecoming, relationships) seemed almost trivial to me, and so I started commuting to a nearby college 2 hours a day, taking German class. (Dutch isn't a widely offered subject in Iowa. ;-) I loved it! I had a fabulous professor who became a dear friend and she helped me decide to study international business and German in college. In '96, I attended the University of Iowa and became the rebellious party girl..... I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a program called Camp Adventure which sent me each summer to different countries (expenses paid) to work with military children, running day camps and I had nights and weekends free to explore.
I
went first to Sasebo, Japan, which was wonderful... even I was tall in
their country!! Summer '98 took me to Naples, Italy, where my mother swore
I'd fall in love with an Italian man who would whisk me away and would
never come back to small town Iowa. Needless to say, my mother was both
right and wrong. While I did manage to fall hopelessly in-love, it was
not with a gorgeous Italian man, but rather a hispanic boy from California
who was my neighbor that summer in our dormant volcano we called home.
I can't even begin to describe the beauty of Italy, I took the train throughout
the country and vowed to return before my 30th birthday. Another year
went by and I was off to Schweinfurt, Germany which was a great way to
put my German to use! The same California boy met me there and we had
a whirlwind summer romance while working and exploring the neighboring
countries as well as visiting old friends in Italy. However, upon returning
to the States, we knew long distance relationships were not for us and
we remained friends...
Finally over New Year's 2000, Camp Adventure sent us 7 vets to open a new camp in Buenos Aires, Argetina.... and what an experience was that... I learned to Tango, saw several shows, drank a ton, and was brought back into the real world discovering that boys will be boys.........I also met with a Pella distributor down there who sold Pella windows which were manufactured in Iowa. What a small world!
I won an internship with Pella Windows in Pella, Iowa in their international department and took the following semester off to work. I had a great time and loved my job! After finishing the internship and fininshing up my final semester at Iowa, I decided to break away from Iowa and enjoy my young single life! I wanted to live it up while I could and decided to move to San Diego. I moved out without a job and without a roommate and by the time my dad and my Uhaul arrived in sunny San Diego, I'd managed to find both. What began as a two year hiatus from Iowa, from winter and from myself, has turned into 4 years and counting. Despite moving around, I have managed to keep in touch with Marisa and was able to visit her in Penn State, to have her come to Iowa, and in 2001 was fortunate enough to be a part of her wedding!! I'm so happy Eric got ahold of my mum who in turn contacted me about this wonderful website. I hope some of us can hook up for the big reunion!!!
Tot Ziens!
Key Stats
Country of Origin:
USA
Education/Next Steps post-Holland:
BA-UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
Birthday:
October 30, 1977
Current Address:
5205 Fiore Terrace #319
San Diego, CA 92122
Current Phone Number:
intl()619-339-9508
Preferred E-mail Address:
tjthompson@hotmail.com
tjthompson@pellasandiego.com
Current Profession or LifeGig:
Sales/Marketing for Pella architectural products
Favorite expression in Dutch:
"Tjonge Jonge!"
Vote for a 2005 Rotary Exchange Holland Reunion (REHR):
"VEGAS, BABY!!"
Rotary club in Holland:
Zutphen/ Vorden
Hosting Rotary club in home country:
Parkersburg, Iowa
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 Eric J. Reid
