Who’s actually writing here?

Hello, I’m Rico – a Mettmann native (born 1989), certified CE Coordinator, urban explorer, model builder, cyclist, storyteller, and dad. In short: a guy with a lot of irons in the fire – and an insatiable curiosity.

Childhood Between Cobblestones and a Thirst for Adventure

I grew up in Mettmann. My father disappeared when I was five, leaving my mother and me with little money but plenty of resilience. In 2005, I moved in with a foster family – a new anchor that showed me family can be something you choose. Redheaded, skinny, and constantly broke – I was the perfect target on the playground. Despite that (or perhaps because of it), I sought freedom early on: first on a bike, later with a map and compass.

School Desks & The First Summit Rush

Until 2005: Hauptschule (secondary school) – formative years in grit and assertiveness; thanks to top grades (top of the class, multiple honorary certificates), I was also officially the “nerd” – which didn’t exactly make recess any easier
2005/2006: Secondary School Certificate at vocational college + year-long internship in a streetwear boutique – first contact with sales, fashion, and visual merchandising
Summer 2005: Climbed my first 3,000-meter peak in the French Alps at 16 – summit euphoria, thin air, and the realization that limits usually start in the head
Winter 2005/2006: First non-tourist caving expedition in Spain – 400 meters of darkness, absolute silence, and a crash course in nerves of steel
2006: Crossing Norway’s second-largest glacier & 6th place in the Eifel Triathlon – endurance, orientation, and competitive spirit combined in one year
2005–2007: First big love – beautiful chaos; we had the heart, but not yet the maturity

Detours, Wrong Turns, Years of Learning

2006–2007: Chef apprenticeship in a 4-star hotel in Düsseldorf – great kitchen, but not my recipe for the future
2007–2008: No fixed ties, lots of acquaintances – after that first big love, I played the field
2008: Voluntary service in the Air Force – a great time full of discipline, camaraderie, and broadening horizons
2008: Brief but intense affair during my army service – a beautiful memory that stays private in its details
After that, a rough patch: unemployment, volunteering at a social department store, and a brief marriage that taught me lessons the hard way
McDonald’s and subsequently Netto: Training as a retail merchant with top grades, deputy store management & IHK trainer certification – from the drive-thru to the checkout counter, I learned that speed, customer focus, and good team spirit make the difference
2010–2012: Relationship with an Austrian woman – long-distance trains, dialects, and big feelings; after two years, our paths parted
2012–2014: A relationship that ended in infidelity – get up, dust off, keep going
Spring 2014: Two brief “slip-ups” – heart in repair, thirst for adventure cranked up

A Fresh Start with Love, Shutters, and Adventure

2014: My current partner and her two children hit me like a good espresso – short, strong, and life-changing
Aug/Sept 2015: Photo expedition to Chernobyl – rusty amusement parks, beeping dosimeters, and a new appreciation for the word “radiation”
2015/2016: Bike courier in Düsseldorf by day, night photographer at “Oberbayern” on Bolkerstraße – little sleep, lots of neon, and stories better left in the dark
2016–2017: Sales assistant at ALDI Nord – ended with burnout and panic attacks. Outpatient therapy, because sometimes being strong means asking for help
November 2017: Loss of a close friend – rock bottom, reset

Back on Track – Quality Management & Family

April 2018 – Oct 2024: Technical customer support at EAL – killing complaints, dissecting towbar bike carriers, first aid for tech emergencies
2019: Birth of our daughter – my biggest project to date
Since Oct 2024: Switch to Quality Management: Sample testing, Compliance, EPR, Packaging Act, Battery Act – every report a piece of product safety
May 2025: Certified CE Coordinator (TÜV Nord) – seal on it, knowledge inside

Hobbies That Shape Me

Urban Exploring – Lost Places are my history teachers without the recess bell.
Model Building – Precision down to the millimeter, preferably WWII settings or Sci-Fi.
Photography – From industrial wasteland details to clean architecture.
History – Especially World War II: Strategies, technology, and personal fates fascinate me.
Cycling – Clearing my head and finding new subjects to shoot.
Writing – This blog, short stories, novels in the drawer.

Why HobbyZone-Alpha?

Because I believe every passion needs a place: a hangar for all the projects, images, and thoughts that would otherwise gather dust in the cloud. Here you will find:

Photo reportages from bunkers and abandoned chateaus
Step-by-step guides for model building & 3D printing
Product tests that also reveal the breaking points
Travel & bike stories with GPS tracks
Honest insights into the highs and lows of a curious life

Stay in touch: Sign up for my newsletter (https://hobbyzone-alpha.com/en/subscribe-to-newsletter/) or follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/HobbyZoneAlphaWuppertal/).

If you have questions, want to give feedback, or just want to say “Hi” – write to me! And now: Have fun browsing, crafting, and discovering.