Meine Stadt

"Das hier ist meine Stadt, steig ein und ich nehm' dich   (This here is my city, get in and I'll take you)
Ein kleines Stückchen auf meinem Weg mit                    (A small piece of the way with me)   
Ich zeig' dir, was es hier zu sehen gibt                              (I'll show you what there is to see)
Das hier ist meine Stadt...                                                 (This here is my city)
Bremerhaven, ich hör' dich, ich fühl' dein Atem              (Bremerhaven, I hear you, I feel your breath)
Der Weg hallt durch deine Straßen                                   (The path echoes through your streets)
Und alles ist grau in den Gassen und Blocks meiner City" (And everything is gray in the alleys and 
- "Meine Stadt" by Moe Mitchell                                         blocks of my city)

Back when I lived here, a friend showed me the song quoted above. It's by an R&B artist from Bremerhaven, and it's the only song I'm aware of that mentions the city by name. I sympathize with a lot of the lyrics - the song talks about the wind along the waterfront and about the port, which is Bremerhaven's lifeblood. As the tide goes in and out, you can almost feel the city breathe.

In the old port in Bremerhaven, one of the most beautiful
parts of the city
I absolutely love this place. Bremerhaven is not just a place I used to live, it's a place that still feels like home. The best word to use is actually "Heimat," which is a German word for the place you come from, the place you love most, the place you feel most like yourself. Bremerhaven is for me a second Heimat. I left a large piece of my heart behind in the port city. In some ways, German Kirstin still lives here, and I get to visit her whenever I return.

I have spent a heart-warming and productive week here, seeing friends and meeting with colleagues at the AWI, finishing the analysis of deep-sea colonization from last summer, and discussing future directions. I'm grateful for my long-standing connection to the institution that allows me to come back here every few years. I am now headed to the next destination on my European whirlwind tour. I'll let you know once I get there!

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