Most people that know Gabbie Vogg think of her as a normal student. But what many don’t realize is that she lived in Germany for six years of her life.

Vogg, 15, was born and raised in Mayfield Heights. She attended Lander Elementary until 3rd grade when her family found out that her dad, Roland, had to start a job in a different country. She was nervous because she had no idea what it would be like to live in Germany.

She said, “When we first moved there I wished I was still in the United States, especially when high school started.”

Vogg’s mother, Lisa, was very concerned for her daughter when they first got to Germany. Lisa said sadly, “I was very nervous being in a foreign country, worrying if something happened to her, what would I do? I couldn’t speak German. And I was wondering if the kids at school wouldn’t be nice to her.”

But, once she started school, Vogg made many friends.

Vogg said,”Because I went to an international school, it was more diverse, and people were more open-minded, respectful, and outgoing.”

Vogg’s daily routine was a little different in Germany than it was when she was living in the United States. Vogg attended the International School of Düsseldorf. She had to take “The Rheinbahn” (a tram in Düsseldorf) every morning to get to school.

It was normal to have kids from all over the world come and go at the school. Many of the kids spoke different languages and traveled the world.

In addition to making many new friends in Düsseldorf, she was still thinking about her old friends back in Mayfield. She kept in contact with some of them through messaging on social media cites.

After six years living in Germany for her father’s job, her family made the big decision to move back to their hometown of Mayfield Heights.

“I was sad to leave my friends in Germany because through my middle school years I became really close to them. But at the same time, I was excited to see my old friends again,” Vogg said.

After Vogg and her family settled into their new Mayfield Heights home, she was getting ready to start school again at Mayfield for the first time in six years.

She was very nervous, thinking that she wouldn’t know anyone in the school. But once she started, she was making many new friends and reuniting with her old friends from Lander Elementary.

One of Vogg’s new friends, sophomore Mia Caine, was very surprised to find out that Vogg had lived in Germany. “I knew that [Vogg] lived in Germany because someone had told me before I had met her. But if no one would have told me that she lived in Germany for six years of her life, I would have never known.”

Vogg has noticed that most people that meet her have no clue that she had lived in Germany for six years of her life and when they find out, they are very surprised.

Vogg said, “I like living here in the United States more because everyone speaks English and it feels more like home.”

Vogg continues to make more friends everyday and is happy to be back in America.