“Daydreaming” is a series of work capturing our life in rural Germany. It is a pleasant and quiet landscape. People always greet you on the street, and there is a uniquely German sense of order.
This was an extremely happy time in my life. Right up to the moment when my wife left…
Life in the Hunsrück was quiet. It takes less than ten minutes to reach the outskirts of the town in any direction. And no matter which direction one set off in, there are always paths through the farms and the forests.
Even in the towns, people are few and far between. In the countryside, more so.
I was often away for work. I always counted down the days until I came back. Partly, because I missed my wife, and partly because this felt like home in a way that I had not known for over ten years.
We frequently hiked, covering up to thirty five kilometres a day during summer when the days were long. Less so as the nights drew in. I am still surprised by how clear the sky is, and the surrounding hills with giant windmills look so close that it might be possible to reach out and touch them. I can close my eyes and the smell of the forests comes flooding back.
While I felt grounded and happy, my wife struggled with the solitude and her lack of German. One fateful morning, she announced that she was moving back to the UK.
I followed. I had not realised how rooted I had become in this little corner of Germany. On the other hand, my wife was very happy to be back in England. Her family were close by, and she felt at home. I, on the other hand, could not settle.
I daydream of this happy time in my life. Right up to the moment when my wife left…