EssaysFebruary 8, 2026·5 min read·Everywhere
On going back to places you already loved
A short essay about second visits, and why they're the ones that finally teach you something.
N
Nora Alviar
Writer & photographer
Cover: Peter Thomas / Unsplash
The first time you visit a city, you’re really visiting a version of yourself who has never been there. The second time, both of you have to reckon with what stayed.
A second visit is where the postcard finally shuts up.
I’ve been back to Rome four times. It gets smaller each visit, and I mean that as a compliment. The Colosseum shrinks. The trattoria on Via dei Coronari grows.
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