October 11, 1950 I found the diary of my girlhood journey and new life in America yesterday. I feel that the story and lesson I learned from it are priceless and should be told; therefore I am publishing this collection of deep innermost thoughts from my youth for you to read and enjoy. It is my hope that you can look at your life and realize all the things there are to be thankful for. It seems like just yesterday I was first coming to America. I can still clearly feel the wonder and astonishment that rushed through my body that day at the sight of America. The tall buildings aligned with the horizon welcomed me to my new home. All I could manage to utter was, "There it is! This is it."My mouth gaped open in amazement and a chilly wind whipped through my hair as I set eyes upon the beginning of the rest of my life. There it stood beckoning to me, Ellis Island. It was my first stop in America. I heard all about America from my father, who had already visited once. He told me of the different clothing styles, big cities, bigger buildings, free education, and unusual foods. Soon I would experience all this on my own.My parents' decision to bring my sister and I to America back in 1899 was based upon bettering our lives and pure adventure. We had everything in Germany, but back then everyone wanted to be American. My sister and I could receive free education here. There wasn't much education available in Germany at the time, and what there was cost a great deal. In America education was free.October 18, 1900My first stop in America was at a place called Ellis Island. All of the immigrants have to stop there first before being considered a real American. While there, I saw no two people that looked a like. Everyone spoke different languages. It was hard to communicate with some people. Luckily, my...
