Stefanie grew up in Judenau, in a house surrounded by fields on three sides and a brook on the fourth. Over the years, the small village in Lower Austria experienced the same structural change typical for many places in the countryside. The local grocery store closed down, and like most young people seeking to escape rural seclusion, Stefanie also eventually moved to a larger city. But her perception of Judenau has since changed – while visits to her childhood home have become less and less frequent over time, the village she once experienced as isolated has turned into her place of recreation, saturated with childhood memories. Her connection to Judenau has grown almost intangible in some ways, yet stronger than ever in others. In analogy to this drawn-out process of physical leaving and emotional return, I photographed Stefanie in various places in and around Judenau – barely visible in the scenes, but still always there.