There are Buffalo fans, and then there’s Isanthe “Izzy” Lüth. Izzy is from Buffalo’s sister city Dortmund, Germany, but she’s considers Buffalo, NY her second home. To say that Izzy is bonkers about Buffalo would be a severe understatement.
Back in 2020, she wrote to Buffalo Rising, saying that she was once an exchange student at Canisius College, and had paid an annual visit back to Buffalo for a consecutive 39 year run. She was just getting ready for her 40th return trip, when the pandemic hit.
“I’ve visited (without fail) since 2008 – always 5 to 6 weeks, around Labor Day – always with the same family.”
In her note, she expressed her dismay that she would not be able to celebrate her 40th visit, as initially planned, due to the pandemic. Heartbroken, she vowed that she would make up for lost time, as soon as she could return.
Moments ago, I received an email from Izzy stating that she was on the verge of returning to her beloved home-away-from-home… Buffalo.
“Yes, I will be back HOME – after three years of deeply missing the 716,” wrote Izzy. “My countdown is now down to only 20 more days, and as soon as I get out of Buffalo Airport on September 3 at 5:00pm and take my first deep breath of Buffalo air, I am back home! I can’t wait to be back and see my ‘American family,’ all my friends, and all the changes and new things happening in Buffalo. I will stay for full six weeks, until October 13.”
During her visit, Izzy plans on visiting RiverWorks, which she loves. She also has two tickets to Bills games, and is a self-professed member of the Bills Mafia. She’s made a number of virtual friends during the pandemic, that she can’t wait to meet in person. I understand that I’m now one of those people, which means that there will surely be a follow-up post recounting our get-together.
In the meantime, if there was anyone that deserves a warm Buffalo welcome, it’s Izzy. In all of my years, I’ve met only a handful of people that have been such diehard fans of this city. Ariella is another person that comes to mind. It’s always fun to meet people who are gaga about Buffalo. Personally, I can’t wait to meet Izzy upon her return. I’m sure that there will be plenty to discuss, from one Sister City to another.
So keep an eye out for Izzy during her stay. She shouldn’t be hard to spot, because she literally wears Buffalo on both sleeves. Let’s give her a nice, big, warm Buffalo willkommen!