Madita Neü was excited to follow in her mother's Fuß-steps this summer.
The 14-year-old from Germany was continuing a trans-Atlantic bond between her family and a family in Airdrie that started over 20 years ago, when Neü's mother Diana first came to stay with the Hegg family as a tourist.
Karen Hegg explained that in 2001, Diana came to stay with her and her family for a few months to improve her English and experience Canadian culture. Hegg said the relationship was sparked by her family's priest, who was from the same German town near Cologne – Drolshagen.
“We would take her to different places and in exchange, she’d do some light housekeeping and babysitting for us,” Hegg said. “She came that spring over 20 years ago and stayed with us.”
According to Hegg, the families kept in touch after Diana returned to Germany. A dozen years later, Hegg's own son Connor went to Drolshagen to stay with the Neüs for a few weeks when he was 17.
“We’ve since visited them, they’ve visited us as well, and then they had children,” Hegg said.
Diana's oldest child is Madita, who came to Airdrie to stay with the Heggs this summer. For just under three weeks in June and July, the 14-year-old experienced a sample of summer-living in Airdrie. She visited the Calgary Stampede, went camping in Banff and Drumheller, saw Spruce Meadows, and even made the drive to Cochrane for a MacKay's ice cream cone.
Locally, Neü also got to experience the Airdrie Pro Rodeo and the Airdrie Canada Day Parade over the July 1 long weekend.
Speaking to the Airdrie City View the day before her flight back to Germany on July 14, Neü said she thoroughly enjoyed her vacation in Airdrie this summer.
“I thought it was really cool,” she said. ”We were at the Stampede, in Banff, Drumheller, and Spruce Meadows. Also, the Airdrie Pro Rodeo and Airdrie parade.
“I thought the rodeo was really cool and so was the camping in Drumheller.”
Hegg said she hopes the familial bond forged between her and the Neüs continues “for generations,” adding that her son Connor has expressed interest in hopefully returning to Drolshagen – perhaps with his own kids one day.
“Connor now is 27,” Hegg said. “He went there to learn German, so speaks a little bit of German. I could see him taking his kids there to also learn German.”
For her part, Neü also said she hopes her family's ties to Airdrie (and vice-versa) continue long into the future.
“I hope as well that it keeps going,” she said.
