Do you have a favorite place that lives on in your heart? If so, then you will know how hard it may be to let go of the dream of returning to that special place. It may have been special because of a family event, a summer vacation, a true love, or its own geography. For whatever reason our hearts have carved out a protected spot for the memory to live on.

In my case the heart felt place is the island of Malta which lies in the Mediterranean Sea off the southern coast of Italy. My family lived there for over 2 years when I was 10. The island captivated me and when we left I revisited it over and over in my nightly dreams, each dream ending with the thought that this time I was not going to wake up, this time I was actually back there. Alas, they remained only dreams.

Imagine my surprise when, 33 years later, I found a spot that took me back to those early years. I had no intention of falling in love with Mexico: I had come down here to teach for one semester, as a senior Fulbright lecturer, at UNAM in Mexico City. By chance and somewhat against my wishes I was persuaded to visit the small colonial town of San Miguel de Allende. I had heard that it was a touristy place and was reluctant to go there. This was in 1989. From the moment I saw the town I was transported back to Malta. I saw the same open fields, dry and brown, with cactus standing tall and rigid offering their “prickly pears” in a variety of colors that brightened up the barren landscape. The fields were marked off with the same kind of yellowish stones, piled one on top of the other to make fences. The farmers worked hard and seemed to hold themselves with the same dignity that comes from toiling in the fields that I remembered observing so long ago as a child. The blue sky covered the ground with its benevolence and the sun offered warmth. Missing was, of course, the sparkling blue of the sea, but that did not seem to matter. In the market stalls I saw the same chunks of meat hanging over the counters, the same smells identified each area and the same colorful exotic fruit was piled up in the wonderfully organized, repetitive pyramid shapes. This was home. I decided to stay on. My heart was at rest.

That was 19 years ago and I still feel the same thrill to be in Mexico. However, over the years the Malta pull has not really lessened. The hankering to return has still pulled at me. Those heart places are not easy to erase. So, after all these years I am returning to Malta for a visit. I wonder if, upon seeing it, I will now see Mexico mirrored there! Who knows? But one thing is certain, my heart now has two “favorite” places filled with meaningful memories.