Of the foreignness of familiar places

Before leaving Europe for an indefinite amount of time, it was important for us to be in the presence of the people we couldn't see in our daily lives in Switzerland but whom we greatly appreciate. And so we spent nearly 3 more weeks in Germany. For our friends and family, it may have felt like a short visit in the summer. For us, it was the beginning of something new, unknown.

We were fortunate to experience so many beautiful moments. Familiar community. Great conversations. Openness and laughter, but also conflict and sadness. Lots of good food and encounters that we will remember for a long time.

As it is with people you love but don't always see, you mentally prepare yourself. You tell each other things you missed and reconnect - or you are happy that nothing has changed and revel in togetherness. Either way, you somehow know that relationships change, people evolve, and space and time have an impact on it all.

But much heavier are the familiar places.

It is absolutely bizarre to visit a place where you were always a schoolchild. But now you are no longer one. And the place has remained the same, accusingly - or perhaps indifferently - continuing to exist.

We visited the places and houses of our childhood and youth. Cities where we sat in McDonald's for hours or wandered the streets without money. We walked on paths that had led us through deep crises and beautiful memories.