Growing up in the Black Forest, one lesson stood out: don’t get lost. Stories of Hansel and Gretel, wolves, and forest spirits filled me with a childhood fear of straying too far. That fear has stayed with me, but it’s paired with an irresistible fascination—a need to explore what’s hidden, to step into the unknown.

The forest felt endless, dark, and filled with secrets. Paths would vanish into the trees, as if daring anyone to follow them into the shadows. The ‘Schwarzwald’—the Black Forest—was always dim, even in daylight. It held an eerie beauty, and enough warning in its name.