Hello everyone, my name is Stefanie (she/her/hers), and I live in the southwest of Germany. I joined here because I've always wanted to become a writer. I deal with chronic pain and several mental health issues and felt an instant connection when I found „The Unexpected Shape“. Due to my illnesses, my world has been turned upside down for a few years, and I often feel isolated. And although I’m introverted and generally enjoy being alone, it would be nice to connect with like-minded people. In my „previous life“, after training in another field, I studied German (literature and linguistics) and History and worked as a teacher and eventually as a principal. Since I was retired almost two years ago at the age of 46, writing has greatly helped me to sort myself out. I have been writing since I was a teenager but never had the courage to publish any of my work. Currently, I dream of starting my own Substack and helping people with my experiences—I would love to inspire and broaden perspectives. 'The Discovery of Heaven' by Harry Mulisch has been my all-time favorite book for over 20 years.