From Vienna to LA: Tatz’ Experience as a Cal West Nomad
Tatz (middle) with her Cal West teammates, Charlie and Christine.
I clearly remember the moment after I finally arrived at LAX following a long flight from Vienna. I was picked up, along with Tom and Natasha, by our HR & recruitment manager, Amiee, and taken to the intern house. The three of us had just arrived from far away to work as Nomads for Liberty in North Korea for the next few months. I remember Tom looking out the window and saying, “This is so surreal!” I was looking at the palm trees, the buildings, and the numerous lights of Los Angeles, and I think in this moment, I finally realized what I had gotten myself into. I was in America, thousands of miles away from my home, surrounded by people I’d never met before.
I found out about LiNK through the book “Escape from Camp 14.” After finishing the book, I looked up LiNK’s website and saw the “Be a Nomad” section. I read over the things that a Nomad does, and I was more than amazed! I spontaneously applied and would have actually never thought that I would get this amazing position, but now I am here, having the best time of my life! I love living in a van, driving through wonderful regions of California, meeting new people, and being astonished every single day by the unbelievably amazing hospitality of all the hosts that booked events with us and let us stay at their homes overnight!
Tatz and Christine
It’s still unreal to me that I have this opportunity to work for this awesome non-profit. Also, being able to share the stories of the North Korean people and being the voice to the voiceless is just as unreal. I remember that when I read “Escape from Camp 14” and numerous other books about North Korea, I felt depressed, hopeless, and condemned to inactivity in my safe and free living environment. But now, I am in America, working with LiNK who is committed to working alongside North Korean people to accelerate change already happening, and I can have a part in it by inspiring other people to become a part of this movement as a Cal West Nomad.
– Tatz, Cal West Nomad
Want to meet the Nomads and learn about the challenges the North Korean people face? Click here to request our Jangmadang event in your town.
