Raindrops run down the windowpanes. We are pretty soaked, seven boys aged between ten and twelve, who jumped in here to seek shelter from the pouring rain. Isn’t that weird? We’re right in the middle of our European tour with The American Boychoir, a stopover in northern Germany, a day off, sightseeing, Niederegger Marzipan Museum, the Holsten Gate, ancient buildings along the old moat, unique winding passageways and courtyards and the most fitting place we can think of to escape the storm is this McDonald’s in downtown Lübeck!

Years later, during his studies, Jake is back in Germany, back in Lübeck again, texting the guys and sending photos and for everyone, the trip is instantly right there again! Lübeck, marzipan, rain, McDonald’s.

Growing up in Marinette, Wisconsin, a small town on Lake Michigan, one of the Great Lakes, Jake, at ten years old, gets the chance to become part of this internationally renowned boys’ choir: boarding-school life, a structured daily routine, but also tours across America and around the world. A formative experience, and a wonderful time for him.

Jake is repeatedly drawn back to Germany, especially to northern Germany, often to the area around Lübeck. It’s something he knows and feels comfortable with.

Was it his experience with the choir, his stay abroad while studying at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, was it his professional orientation that kept bringing him back here, was it his love for his German wife that turned his short stays into a permanent one? Unfortunately, the marriage did not last, and sometime around 2016, Jake gave himself two more years to either find a deeper connection with Germany or return to his homeland.

The company he’d been working for gave him the opportunity to take those two years but ultimately, falling in love with the city of Hamburg and finding his people there, including Carlo and, most recently, Winnie, are exactly why he chooses to remain and now calls Hamburg home.

I met Jake and Carlo in the summer of 2024 during a photo shoot in a gym. I was working on a new photo idea there with my son and his training buddies.

As soon as I started the IMMIGRANTS project, I knew I wanted them both to be part of it.

I ask Jake about his motivation, his experiences in a foreign country, and how life feels for him.

As a white, introverted American who walks around in public wearing headphones, he basically never encounters hostility. His motto: “go with the flow.” At most, he gets a few strange looks because even when it’s around freezing, he’ll be out in a T-shirt and shorts.

Asked about his observations on the German people, he advises his hosts to step out of the box more often and leave more room for play. In that way, life might feel so much easier.

To wrap up, Jake tells me that he’s joining Carlo on his new path—his “Retro Muay Thai” project. They’re business partners: Carlo the “Dreamer,” Jake the “Practical Guy”.

That afternoon in Hamburg, I was lucky to meet three open, warm-hearted people—people who carry my project so strongly with their stories, and whose stories will stay with me for a long time.

From the bottom of my heart, I wish Winnie, Carlo, and Jake all the best with their ideas, their dreams, their projects, and in life!

IMMIGRANTS is still growing. If you’ve got a migration story and you’re curious what this could look like—just reach out. Let’s see if it clicks.