Growing up in Germany I felt invisible most of my childhood as the shy kid who didn’t really socialize a lot with others. I would rarely speak up, raise my hand in class.

I had these weird butterflies in my stomach anytime a teacher was going to ask a question and pick a student from the class. I was the guy who sat next to you in math and years later you completely forgot about.

But I craved connection.

Being an only child I needed to put myself out there, so I took the scary step and joined sports clubs, summer camps and even politics. I would now say that some of my biggest lessons and growth growing up was from joining these communities.

I felt I had it figured out until… I moved to Canada in 2008.

Again I knew nobody, I wasn’t fluent in the language and although all Canadians I met were super friendly on the surface, but it was hard to make deep relationships.

It took me 8 years to finally find a new community where I felt like home. Loving, supportive, encouraging, everyone motivated to growth and learning.

They became my chosen soul family – my PEOPLE.