A Meditation on Spaces | Sense of Place

Some places hold you the moment you arrive — their air charged with an unspoken familiarity. Others remain distant, almost indifferent, as if keeping a mystery that cannot yet be accessed.

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The Energy of Space

The more I travel and live in different places, the more convinced I am that every space holds an energy signature — not metaphorically, but tangibly. It’s there in the stillness of a room, the rhythm of a street, the echo of a coastline. Some expand me; others close in. The subtle shifts are constant, yet invisible, shaping how I move, think, and feel.

Beauty is often described in visual terms, but the essence of a place is felt before it is seen. It’s in the warmth of sunlight, the scent of air, the tension between technology and tradition, or in the way nature acts as a co-architect. The most profound spaces are those that meet us where words cannot — where atmosphere becomes language.

The Dialogue Between Self and Place

In my experience, every place has its own energy signature—a unique resonance that you feel before you understand.

Argentina is a singular blend: it carries a duality in nature, a hybrid soul that bridges Europe and South America. Its energy is vibrant but not frenetic—an open, human pulse filled with warmth and emotional gravity. This is my foundational world —the soil of my roots and the first, most vivid backdrop of my memory.

If Argentina is the soil, Germany represents the architecture of my mind — a fascinating paradox. Its culture is built upon a foundation of unwavering reason and order. Yet, this structure serves as a vessel—not to confine, but to give living form to the dreams of the inner world, bringing them to the surface with clarity and purpose.

Then there is Italy, which embodies every beautiful cliché you've ever heard. And I confess, I have nothing against them, for in my experience, they are all alive and undeniably true. To me, Italy is like a perfect piece of analogue photography: it moves with a romantic, textured sigh, all warm grain and deep, palpable desire. It is a delightful truth, not a modern fiction.

And far to the north, Iceland speaks in a profound silence, articulating itself in a language of earth, ice, and fire. Here is where the world feels utterly remade. What I found was not magic, but something more mystical: an otherworldly presence — so surreal it becomes transformative. 

As I move between these places, I realize they are not merely settings — they are mirrors. They recalibrate my frequency. They reveal which parts of me are restless, which are still. The energy of place becomes a companion in self-discovery — a teacher in the art of being attuned.

Amélie Nothomb once wrote:

“Of all the countries I have lived in, my native country is the one I have understood the least. Being from a certain place, perhaps that is what it is all about: not understanding what it is all about. No doubt that is the reason I started writing there. Not understanding something is a phenomenal ferment for writing: my stories give shape to a growing incomprehension.”

Her words still echo within me. Perhaps not understanding is what keeps us listening — creating — reaching toward what exists beyond the senses.

Living the Conscious Geography

To live consciously is to immerse oneself in the atmosphere of a place—to notice how nature, architecture, landscape, and culture all participate in creating who we are. A neighborhood, a river, a city street — the list is infinite — each holds “something” that either invites or resists.

When we begin to listen, we understand: the place is alive. It remembers, responds, and reflects. It becomes a collaborator in our inner evolution. The more aware we are of a space’s invisible architecture, the more intentionally we can inhabit it.

To see beyond what a place looks like, and begin to feel what it is — this is the practice of belonging.

Everywhere we go, the world answers — often by opening itself to us.

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