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Birth-Geographical Location
The first event on my cultural timeline was my birth. I was born in a hospital in St. Francis, WI and had a birth certificate issued to me immediately and signed by both of my parents. This seemingly common and simple event began the development of my cultural identity as a United States citizen without having any conscious awareness of this fact. Being raised here, I developed the typical mid-western accent that sounds almost Canadian. -
Santa Claus and St Nick- Ethnicity
As some might be surprised to find out, Santa Claus and St Nick are two different people. St Nick day is Dec 5 and I later found out that this mini holiday comes from Western Europe. My siblings and I would set up stockings on the wall the night of Dec 5 and the next day we would find that St Nick filled our stockings with candy and maybe a little toy. After moving around the country, and finding out that not everybody heard of this holiday made me realize I had a unique European ethnicity. -
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day- Family Traditions and Customs
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were always 2 very different days. Christmas Eve was spent at my dad's parents home and after they passed it was held at one of my dad's 5 siblings houses on a rotational basis where my aunts and uncles would draw names out of all my cousins to get a gift for. We would sing Christmas songs and then open presents one by one. Christmas Day was held at my mom's brother's house and we would eat dinner and then play games like charades, sequence, or pictionary. -
Lutheran Confirmation- Religion
My mother put me through Sunday school at various churches of different Christian denominations. At age 11 my mom enrolled my siblings and I in a Lutheran church program that lasted 3 years and at the end of my 8th grade year, I was a confirmed Lutheran. Today, I attend many different churches and enjoy learning new religions. I think this event impacted me in a way that even though I like to attend other religious events and services, I primarily attend Christian gatherings. -
High School Graduation and Coming out to my Parents as Gay- Sexual Orientation
I went to public school in Franklin, WI and stayed in the same school district for all 12 years. The district had 5 elementary schools that fed into 1 middle school, and then one high school. I graduated with about 400 other students. After years of pretending to be interested in women, and after I graduated high school, I told my parents and family I was gay. My mother was shocked, my dad was not surprised and after this event, I was introduced to a new subculture within the city of Milwaukee -
Graduated Basic Training US Army- Union or Political Affiliation
At the time, I decided college life was not for me. I did not see a reason to go into debt to learn, learning is free. I decided to enlist in the US Army mainly to have college paid for. This was really the first time I was thrown into a completely different culture. Graduation of BCT was probably one of the most emotional and moving experiences of my life to this day. I believe it was this experience that gave me my current Republican leaning political views -
My first time abroad: Buenos Aires Argentina-Recreational Habits
I always wanted to travel, see the world, learn new languages, and experience new cultures. The US Army did not provide me with that opportunity, so after I separated from the military and attended the Univsersity of WI, I seized the opportunity to study for a full semester in Buenos Aires, ARG. It was there where I felt like I was in my true element. For the first time in my life, I felt accepted, free, and I had a sense of belonging. It was at this time I met my future husband- a Porteño. -
Graduated University BA in International Studies- Work Content/Field
This was another graduation ceremony that I attended but for some reason it didn't really have the same emotional effect as my Basic Training graduation. My parents, brother and sister were there and after the ceremony we went out for lunch together as a family. I always enjoy going out to a restaurant with my parents. My Dad still insists on paying when we go out even though I don't need him to. I think it may be a power thing. -
Moved and got married in Argentina- Martial Status
I decided to move back to Argentina because I loved it so much there. Some cultural differences that I noticed and actually preferred in comparison to American culture were greetings, people talked with their hands, and people seemed more trusting. It was at this time my relationship with my now husband flourished and we decided to commit to living a life together and got married. This was a major shift in my cultural identity because my life now became OUR life. -
moved to San Antonio and started teaching- Work Experience
I moved to San Antonio because of the oppressive political climate in South America and wanted to live in a city that had some American values but also some Latino and Hispanic culture as well. After moving here I got a job as a teacher and have been teaching ever since. I enjoy my job but I would really like to continue to explore more of South America and possibly do another study abroad or just save up some money and live for a year or two.
