Who I am...

My name is Nicole and I was born in January 1975 into a country that already showed me boundaries from birth.

The walls and border fences of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) stood in the way of my curiosity for the world already in my youth and so the Statue of Liberty in New York became a symbol of freedom for me relatively early. I never understood why I should not see the world and at most Russia should be accessible to me - and also that only if I understood it, would I portray myself as a brave, party-loyal citizen.

Many - especially older - people in my old homeland, the GDR, mourn the old times today and wish the wall back - for me was and is the reunification of the two German states a blessing - because only through this can I now set my steps in all directions of the world.

I witnessed the fall of the wall at the tender age of nearly fifteen and still today I remember the feeling that the world was opening up before me - inviting, with open arms, waiting for me.

We were the first graduating classes to travel to capitalist foreign countries, so our 10th-class graduation trip to Italy took place. 10 days Rimini with day trips to Florence, San Marino and Venice - until today dream destinations for people from all over the world.

During my apprenticeship, a first, tiny little bucket-list formed in my head:

- once my symbol of freedom - see the Statue of Liberty in New York
- to see once the pyramids in Egypt, of which our teacher had always raved during my apprenticeship
- see Sri Lanka, for which a reportage on television had so much excited me.

I wanted to see these three places before I die once, so I visited my friend Anja in 1997 during her au pair year in Boston - but not without the trip to New York.

After this great adventure followed years in the crippling shackles of everyday life with low-paid jobs, complicated relationships, personal losses and extensive crises of meaning.

In 2012, at the age of 37, I consciously decided to transform my adolescent dreams into real memories during a very dark phase for me -

Die with memories, not dreams!!!
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My name is Nicole and I was born in January 1975 into a country that already showed me boundaries from birth.

The walls and border fences of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) stood in the way of my curiosity for the world already in my youth and so the Statue of Liberty in New York became a symbol of freedom for me relatively early. I never understood why I should not see the world and at most Russia should be accessible to me - and also that only if I understood it, would I portray myself as a brave, party-loyal citizen.

Many - especially older - people in my old homeland, the GDR, mourn the old times today and wish the wall back - for me was and is the reunification of the two German states a blessing - because only through this can I now set my steps in all directions of the world.

I witnessed the fall of the wall at the tender age of nearly fifteen and still today I remember the feeling that the world was opening up before me - inviting, with open arms, waiting for me.

We were the first graduating classes to travel to capitalist foreign countries, so our 10th-class graduation trip to Italy took place. 10 days Rimini with day trips to Florence, San Marino and Venice - until today dream destinations for people from all over the world.

During my apprenticeship, a first, tiny little bucket-list formed in my head:

- once my symbol of freedom - see the Statue of Liberty in New York
- to see once the pyramids in Egypt, of which our teacher had always raved during my apprenticeship
- see Sri Lanka, for which a reportage on television had so much excited me.

I wanted to see these three places before I die once, so I visited my friend Anja in 1997 during her au pair year in Boston - but not without the trip to New York.

After this great adventure followed years in the crippling shackles of everyday life with low-paid jobs, complicated relationships, personal losses and extensive crises of meaning.

In 2012, at the age of 37, I consciously decided to transform my adolescent dreams into real memories during a very dark phase for
me -

Die with memories, not dreams!!!