PBS Travel Host Samantha Brown Honored as Distinguished German American of the Year at Elegant October Gala

If you cannot immediately connect the dots between a teacup and duct tape, you are probably not alone. Guests at GAHF’s 2024 Award Gala at the Pan American Union Building, which serves as the headquarters of the Organization of American States, in the heart of Washington, D.C., discovered that those two items accompany Samantha Brown, this year’s Distinguished German American and globetrotter extraordinaire, everywhere she goes. The teacup holds sentimental value as it reminds her of her family and home, whilst the duct tape is entirely practical in nature, and can fix anything from a broken suitcase to closing hotel room curtains in order to shut out daylight after long hours of travel.