Mussels with Smoked Spanish Paprika

When I was in 3rd grade my family moved from Cleveland, Ohio to Portland, Maine (talk about a change of scenery). Insert my love obsession with the ocean.

I would spend hours upon hours searching through tide pools to find the perfect sea urchin or seashell. My love for the ocean grew so much while living in Maine. The smell, the sound, the calming influence it has when you take a nice long walk with the water running through your feet.

Maine is so many things including beautiful, peaceful, far away (from relatives at least), cold in the winter, packed full of incredible seafood, fall foliage like you have never seen. While we only lived there for about three years and I was young, it shaped my interests, likes, and dislikes (seafood).