Welcome to My Journey

Welcome to the diary blog of my journey to discover the full account of the journey of one of my ancestors, Jacob Meier, Jr. to America.

My journey officially started late one evening, when I turned to my husband, and said, "I'm going to write the story of Jacob Meier." Although mildly supportive at first, as it was not the first novel I had proposed, he listened intently when he heard the rough story. It has all the makings of a great adventure, as it has sacrifice, war, famine, and escape from two of the most destructive forces of the twentieth century.

I had learned the love of history and adventure from my Grandpa Jack. For years I listened, enraptured, while he spun tales at the kitchen table at his house, and later in his college classroom. Whether it was recounting the campaigns of MacArthur in the Pacific theater, explaining the mummification process of the Egyptians in minuet detail, or sending me to the library to explore the process of research (to find the elusive dodecahedron), he instilled a passion in me for learning, researching, and writing that today remains unquenchable.

Years later, when I decided to eschew a doctorate in physical therapy to pursue my true passion of writing, I flitted from subject to subject, publishing short articles in my field, doing research on history and politics, writing on my blog and living my life. The Jacob Meier story didn't even register on the radar until recently, when I was mentally ready to begin a novel, and began actively pursuing a story idea. The remembrance of those times with Grandpa lead me to this journey.

So, I invite you to share this journey with me as I find out not only what Jacob Meier, Jr. experienced in his life, but I find my family, my history, and myself.