My eyes are closed. I hear the sound of the sea as the waves break and run slowly to the beach. The wet sand presses through my toes until the cold water gently laps my feet. I take a deep breath. It smells of the sea. I can taste it, feel it while the light breeze plays with my hair. It's hard for me to open my eyes. Too deep is the feeling in this moment. But when I open my eyes it lies there, the sea in all its infinity. And as I look out to the point where the sea connects to the horizon, memories rise in me. Here in East Frisia, on the edge of the North Sea, I was born and raised. Memories of the life and daily routines that shaped the people here, including myself, can be found in the stories and research I've compiled here.