During my childhood and youth, home was always where everyone met. This was true even during my playgroup days and even after I graduated from high school. My parents were always happy to host families; we had barbecues every day in the summer, and World Cup matches were shown on the terrace. My mother was very welcoming and a fantastic cook. Our guests always plopped down on the old sofa—it was already full of bouncing children—and put their feet up. Because everyone immediately felt at home. I'm an only child, but I never felt like one. This domesticity was an enormously important part of my life. And ever since I can remember, I've tried to participate in it and emulate it. As a passionate hostess,
I miss the regular visits to my home, which has become the hub for all my friends here in Berlin over the past four years.
