We tell our secrets to strangers

For nearly 2 years I opened the doors of my cottage to travelers from around the world. There's a shared intimate dynamic when you welcome someone into your home that you've never met before. You have to be mindful of there space within your own personal domain and inviting at the same time. After a limited time spent with each person or couple I found we could share stories and sometimes secrets you wouldn't normally reveal to your friends or family. Maybe its because I opened the doors of my home freely they that felt they had to reciprocate. Maybe our fondness for confiding in strangers is more evidence for what’s been called, in one of sociology’s most famous papers, the “strength of weak ties”. There are no long term commitments as such or enough time to develop animosity. Still sitting around my kitchen table sharing a pot of tea or a glass of whiskey I felt a genuine kinship and affection as we talked into the small hours of the night until the morning light when they eventually had to leave for their next destination. This is when I took their portraits as we said our goodbyes and fond farewells.