My graduation class from Daysland Highschool is arranging a reunion this summer in Alberta, Canada. 20 years have passed and it would be great top join the reunion and meet up with everyone again but I guess it is a bit far to go for an evening out. 20 years is an almost unbelievable time and the fact that I also feel that it went by in a flash makes it even scarier. I have no problem growing older or accepting the change of time but if 20 years goes this fast how will it be with the coming 20 years? How will I possibly have time to do everything that I am planning to do when I grow up? Well, I guess the answer is living long. I will make my best film ever at the age of 90 and my novel debut at the age of 72. Or, just live life, doing only the fun things and make myself change the path ever so often.
A reunion makes you think. What has happened in the last 20 years and did life turn out as I had expected? In 1989/90 I spent one year in the town of Heisler, Canada with 114 inhabitants. I went to Daysland Highschool with 200 kids from grade 1 – 12 going on a school bus for 30 minutes every morning to the little town of Daysland. I now live in what is called a rural area but it is nothing compared to the enormous fields of Alberta, Canada. I was a city girl who ended up learning how to milk a cow, to drink bear at a bonfire and that a life without a truck was a life not lived. I met many great people, experienced a divorce in my host family, saw people close to me struggle real hard and realized a lot of things about myself, and the way I wanted to live my life. I have lived in 8 or 9 countries, worked and studied in many different cultures but I think many of my life defining insights happened in Canada. I don’t think I got it right there and then but in hindsight I think it was one of the most defining years of my life. Then again, since then lots have happened and maybe we all get shaped on the path we travel.
When I lived in Canada the Berlin wall was taken down and for a moment I felt as if I was on the wrong spot when something really big happened in Europe. The again, I lived my life in Canada for a year and for me it had a huge impact just as the changes in east and west Germany changed the lives of millions of people. There are no “right” places to be – only the possibilities we make ourselves.
We were around 18 when we graduated from Daysland Highschool in June 1990. At the age of 38 we are statistically not halfway. Actually this is a really nice thought. Imagine what lies ahead and what possibilities we still have - the Daysland High, Class of 1990!
I like to think that we are all in an everlasting learning process where the secrets of life are still to be discovered and hopefully some of them will always stay unknown to us!
Classmates – have a great reunion and enjoy what lies ahead. A sea of possibilities!
Maria – Ulrika
(I now go by my second name Ulrika but you can obviously still call me Maria!)
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