Just as many growing up in the United States dream of going backpacking through Europe, some European youths dream of coming to the U.S., of seeing all that America has to offer in terms of culture, food and attractions. Some come for an education, some for work, or both. Most likely, they come with expectations of returning home.
So, imagine being young, in the second year or so of a university career and setting off to America for a year of honing your English skills. Or perhaps you are done with school and you’ve heard good things about America, so you follow someone who came before you. After visiting, or working, or traveling, you plan to pack up your things neatly and board a flight home.
But, what if those simple plans get scrapped because you fell in love? What would you do? Would you return home and hope those feelings just went away? Or would you leave everything – your family, your home, your job, your friends, your life – for the chance that this might be it, the one chance big you’ll get at love?
Ingrid Suvertova and Brent Poffenberger recently got engaged.
According to the U.S. Embassy’s Web site, the Summer Work and Travel Program — the four-month program that allows foreign students to come and earn money, and experience American culture — is gaining popularity.
According to Ambassador John Beyrle, “The Summer Work and Travel Program has become tremendously popular in Bulgaria. We expect to give Bulgarian students about 13,000 visas in 2008.”
Bulgaria is a country in Southeast Europe on the Black Sea bordered by Romania, Yugoslavia, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey. After Communist rule came to an end in 1989, a new constitution for the nation was established in 1991.
Ingrid and Brent
Ingrid Suvertova, originally from Slovakia, had been in the country for a while before meeting Brent Poffenberger, owner of the Cottage Café restaurant near Bethany Beach.
“We actually met at the restaurant,” said Brent. “Her main job is in marketing, so working here was a part-time job, and after a little while I asked her out.”
Ingrid came to the United States as a college graduate in her mid-20s, after her brother, who had come to the U.S. before her.
“I don’t think I would do it,” said Poffenberger, of persuading his fiancée to come to America. “She’s a strong independent woman. She speaks, Slavik, Russian, English, French.”
The two are now planning a summer wedding and hope to start a family after that. This spring they visited with Ingrid’s family, as they plan to do each year or every other year, and her family will make their first trip to the United States for the wedding.
“If you asked me 10 years ago if I thought I’d be marrying someone from another country, I’d have to say I wouldn’t have. But I love her to death and appreciate that she’s willing to make the sacrifice to live here permanently because she’s extremely close with her family,” added Poffenberger.
Slovakia, or the Slovak Republic is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary and Austria. Slovakia succeeded from the Czecho-Slovak Federation, previously Czechoslovakia, on Jan. 1, 1993.
Marcela and Edward
Coastal Point • MONICA FLEMING
Edward and Marcela Towle, with their daughter, Sarah.
Walking home one cold night from G&E to the Salt Pond changed Marcela (Lema) Towle’s life forever.
“It was so cold,” she remembered. “A man pulled over because he saw me walking with my groceries and hood up, and asked if I needed a ride. He thought I was a young boy because I am so little.”
After hearing from her mother her whole life never to take a ride from strangers, Marcela remembered something else she had been taught.
“My mother told me to always have a pen in my pocket in case of some trouble, so I thought ‘I have my pen,’ and it’s just so cold — so I got in. And it was fine. Edward was very nice and a gentleman.”
After Marcela accepted the ride that night, they introduced themselves and got to talking about how she would get to her school without a car, and she asked him if they had buses around here.
“He gave me his number, and we became friends and starting dating eventually. He drove me to school to Del Tech until I could get my own license.”
Towle came to the U.S. originally as an au pair, through an agency in her native Ecuador. She was working at an American-owned school, substituting, and came to work on her English skills. She planned on working for the year and doing some traveling and returning after that.
But, as many good plans do, that changed. The September after she met Edward, they married and have since added daughter Sarah to their family.
“My mother — she wants that we’ll get married there {in Ecuador} in a church. And probably we will, but it is expensive, maybe when I finish school,” Marcela said.
Edward Towle hasn’t personally met his in-laws yet, but Marcela said they share videos, pictures and letters over e-mail, and her husband has taken some courses so he is able to speak to her mother.
“My family doesn’t know him personally — they haven’t seen him, but they love him.” “It’s different cultures,’ she continued. “He speaks to my mother more than his own.”
“I never thought I’d stay here,” concluded Marcela. “I am so close to my family. My mother didn’t even want me to come. But my family is here now.”
Ecuador is a country in northwest South American on the Pacific Ocean and is bordered by Columbia and Peru.