Everywhere is unique. That’s what every country tells itself. And, by extension, every people is unique.

Yet the more I’ve travelled the world, the more I’ve been struck by how much of everywhere and everyone is actually the same. As a teacher of mine once said about the people of the world, “we’re all just folks.” I’d phrase it differently, but I’d still be saying the same thing.

In central Europe, forests grow so thick that they block out the sun, leaving darkness beneath the trees even during daylight. One forest especially famous for this is Der Schwarzwald, the Black Forest, in Germany. It looks something like this.

This photo was taken in the Victorian highlands of Australia. I call it Der australische Schwarzwald — The Australian Black Forest. Same idea as Germany. Just on the other side of the world.