Dear Home

Thoughts on Home.

What are you really missing when you miss home? My impression is that you miss the people. It’s always the people, right? Strolling around the empty alleys of Thessaloniki though, during past Christmas I discovered a certain warmth in the familiar corners, in the old storefronts.

Sure, it’s the people I’ve met in these corners that give them meaning, but the distinction between people and streets when answering the question, “What’s home?”—especially when it comes to Thessaloniki—remains blurry. Thessaloniki is a Christmas city. And, just like Christmas, it can make you feel both cozy and lonely.

During “Home,” we walked through the Kapani meat market, a corner brimming with smells, sounds, and people during the day. By night, it transforms into a graveyard of lost words and empty selves. The cobblestone sidewalk stays wet from the day’s affairs, reminding you that what was, will come again. You just have to wait for dawn.

I don’t miss the meat market when I miss home—I miss the people. Yet, during this night walk in Thessaloniki, there were none. Still, Thessaloniki made sure I didn’t feel lonely.

Note to self: Buy a tripod.