"The Lawrence Welk Show Closing Credits"

We met 55-year-old Arielle at the Portland Japanese Garden during a public tour, surrounded by the blooming cherry blossoms and soft sound of waterfalls. She had such an open and curious energy, asking us many questions about our goals, travels, and even offering to connect us with her son for a test flight on our next trip (stay tuned to hear more about that!)

When asked our usual question about a song that reminds her of growing up. She answered without hesitation, "The Lawrence Welk Show Closing Credits." The song brings back a sense of nostalgia, not just because of the music, but because Lawrence Welk speaks with a distinct German accent, reminding Arielle of her father. The daughter of refugees from Kussel, Germany, she said it made her feel connected back to her heritage and seen. "It always connected me back to the Motherland," she shared. It gave her a rare sense of feeling more connected to what she saw on American television.

Arielle spent her early years in a bilingual town of Michigan, surrounded by a tight-knit German-speaking community. But when her father's job brought their family to Indiana, the shift was stark. She described it as being from a German pseudo-world into a place where she looked like everyone, but never felt like she truly belonged. That feeling of disconnection stayed with her much of her life, always in a quiet search for a place that felt like home.

She went on to raise two sons in Cincinnati, where her husband's job brought them. Originally a hospice nurse, Arielle stepped away from that career after finding the work environment disheartening. In the last six months, she's taken time to explore Oregon: soaking in its forests, finding a new personality for each piece of the coastline, and enjoying a quiet, nature-filled lifestyle. She says she has finally found home in the trees of the Pacific Northwest. The Oregon coast reminds Arielle of her Michigan roots as she talks to the ocean, the wind, the birds, and dives headfirst into the spirit of nature.

Arielle is letting life unfold. She is drawn to things that bring joy and meaning: volunteering with horse therapy, immigration advocacy, working with housing commission, maybe even venture capital. She's letting the universe guide her, one step at a time. And as for that old closing song on TV? For Arielle, it's still playing: a bridge between where she came from and where she has finally arrived.