Auf Wiedersehen, Rieke

May 27, 2025

And just like that, the day we’d been pretending wouldn’t come finally arrived. This morning, we loaded Rieke’s very full luggage into the car (it turns out you can fit a lot of American memories into a few suitcases), and made our way to the Salt Lake City airport. The drive was quiet — none of us really knowing how to put the past ten months into words, or how to say goodbye to someone who had become such a big part of our family.

We dragged our feet walking into the airport, stretching every last moment. Just outside of security, we gave long hugs — the kind you don’t want to end — and took one last photo together. It’s the kind of picture you know will mean more with time. Rieke was nervous, but brave, and finally turned the corner, disappearing through security and beginning her long journey back to Germany.

It’s hard to say goodbye to someone who shared so much of your life — from first days of school, prom, and dance performances, to lacrosse games, pajama parties, camping trips, beach days, concerts, temple grounds, and so many late-night cookie-making sessions. We watched her grow, adapt, laugh, struggle, and thrive. She dove into American high school life, made best friends, learned to ski, sang Christmas songs in a church program, and even scored a lacrosse goal.

But more than anything, Rieke became part of our family. Molly and Ryan gained a sister. Jana gained a shopping and hairstyling partner. And I gained a quiet respect for a young woman who left everything familiar behind to embrace something completely new — and did it with grace, humor, and heart.

We already miss her. And while our house feels a little quieter now, it’s also filled with reminders of her — in the photos on our phones, the German snacks still in the pantry, the t-shirts from the fire department, and the stories we’ll be telling for years to come. We hope she returns home with full suitcases, a full heart, and the knowledge that she always has a home here in Santaquin.