Stuttgart: home

Never would have imagined that I’d call this city my home.

I’ve been in Seoul a few months ago and now we’re planning some short trips here and there around Europe, but it always comes down to returning back home, right? How good it feels to open the door, breathe in the familiar surroundings and sleep in my own bed.

I’m still not so sure where to refer to as my real home, is it a person, a place or a feeling? I’ve decided it’s here, for now, so just a short photo post about Stuttgart at the moment, the place where I call home.

뭔가 늘 다음 여행을 준비하고 다녀오고 떠나고 하는 생활 패턴. 그래도 여행의 묘미라면 집으로 다시 돌아오는 순간이 아닐까. 익숙한 환경에 돌아와 내 침대, 내 사물들을 다시 보고 만지고 사용하고. 늘 어디론가 떠나는 바쁜 패턴에서 조금 벗어나 지난 7년동안 내 집이라고 일컬어온 스튜트가르트를 되돌아보는 시간.

I knew Stuttgart from my experience as a reporter at the newspaper, covering the culture beat. Stuttgart Ballet was quite a famous name in the cultural and performance circle, not only for being one of the most prestigious in the world, but also because of the Korean ballerinas. The city was also famous for Porsche and Mercedes Benz, although at the time I wasn’t so much into cars or their home base. So it wasn’t so much of shock to start living here, but of course, Europe was not the first place I had in mind when I thought about starting my married life.

코리아타임즈에서 기자하던 시절, 문화부에 오랫동안 배정되어 있던 나는 그래도 스튜트가르트에 대해서 꽤나 알고 있는 사람 중 하나였다. 스튜트가르트 발레단도있었고 발레단에서 활동하는 한국인 발레리나들도 있었고 포르쉐나 벤츠의 본고장으로도 알려져 있었던 터라 아예 모르는 도시는 아니었던 것. 그래도 여기서 이렇게 오랫동안, 아기까지 낳고 살 줄이야.

But here I am, calling this city home, receiving press releases from both car manufacturers, reading monthly magazines about children and motherhood and writing about it here and Instagram. And in the midst of all that, I’ve given birth to a little baby girl. And soon, I’ll be talking in a classroom, sharing my experience about living in Stuttgart. (I talked more about it on my instagram but I’ll be teaching some classes at VHS Stuttgart for their new English program. Very excited.)

Funny how life brings some things together.

지난 7년동안 이사도 세번하고 아기도 낳고 여행도 많이 다니고 친구들도 많이 사귀고, 이제 곧 강연도 나간다니. 시간 참 빠르고 인생 참 모르는 일이네.

If you need more info on the topic Stuttgart, check a very long list of reasons (101 of them!) you should love this city.

All photos by rachelsanghee. 2019.