I was wide awake in a sleeping town, was infected by its void.
So I left that life back in 2K4, couldn’t take it anymore.
While the small town boys were busy being bored.
When you’re pushed around, when you’re on the ground, you got to learn your lessons fast.
You just keep your mouth shut, hold your head down and pray that it won’t last.
All the things I was fighting to keep out, always found a shortcut back in.
Breaking plans that I was making. You could tell when I was faking.
But it’s OK.
When I left this town I was beaten down, I was ready to just give in.
I was a small town boy with big ideas, but nostalgia always wins.

Although I was born in Hamburg, I grew up in the small town of Meckenheim and took my first DSLR photos there. So this is kind of where my photographic journey began. But every journey starts with a departure and I am immeasurably glad I left that town. I still visit my family regularly and on one occasion, the above lines from a song by Erik Hassle were randomly playing in a music podcast I was listening to. And they perfectly summarize how I feel about Meckenheim today.