Turin has been on my mind since the day I left it. I never expected to have such depth of feeling for the city, but I loved everything about it. I only went for a few days to be entertained and educated at the Museo Egizio on the day of my twenty-sixth birthday, but I found myself mindlessly walking along the streets for hours, early in the morning and late into the evenings. I still couldn’t tell you why I felt this way, but everything about Turin satisfied everything within me. This gorgeous Piedmont city has become one of the few places in the world that I have ever felt like I was at home. I look for that feeling wherever I go in the world, but find in locations few and far between. Thus far, the only ones are: Paris, Los Angeles, Sarasota, and Turin. I’ve loved many others, but those cities are special. To be able to live in one would be bliss. Life finally has meaning when you are in a place you belong. This is why I travel, to satisfy my never-ending homesickness. I’ll see Los Angeles next month, and I plan on being back in Paris this summer. I will do my damnedest to get to Turin, again, and I hope to spend a long time, learning every street and trying every focaccia shop.

My homesickness for Turin has gotten pretty tragic over the past week, so I’ve decided to revisit my pictures and post too many of them. These aren’t my greatest photographs, but they make me happy. Perhaps they will do the same for you?

This is the street where my apartment was located. Nothing at all special, but it has become one of my favorites. There are no sidewalks; pedestrians and motor vehicles meander together. I bought the most delicious coffee in a grocery store here.

A beautiful piazza where I ate a spinach tart and loved life.

I will only make my martinis with vermouth made in Turin. It would be folly otherwise, and they truly do taste better.

A stunning Book of the Dead at the Museo Egizio. Too many tourists, but I was too happy to care.

I relate to this overseer, sitting as his crew works. I think I was probably him in a past life.

One of a hundred stunning stelae. I could spend days there with my notebook, copying the hieroglyphs and making translations. If only there was someplace this wonderful near me in Iowa. There’s not, so only more reason to move to Europe.

A bit of a tomb an expedition brought back to Turin. Crazy how the world of archaeology used to work.

More perfect streets.

Many of the streets have pedestrian arcades, so you won’t be sunburned or smashed by a vehicle. #blessed

I’ve been to cities and locations much more beautiful than Turin, but it captured my heart. It was here, in this totally uninteresting piazza that I knew I was in love.

An isolated bench, only a few feet from the city, but it felt as if I were in the middle of the country.

The Po is no Seine, but I like it just the same.

Art and food are everywhere. I was gorging on a chocolate gelato as I took this.

The Mole Antonelliana is a tourist highlight, but I didn’t go to it. Just another reason to go back.

Outside the Museo Egizio. Maybe someday I will get a job here. Their social media is tragic, I would revamp their accounts, especially their Facebook disaster.

One of my favorite focaccia shops. I loved the cheese and onion. I still can’t get it right here at home, but that hasn’t stopped me from trying.

Looking at peace with the world because I was filled with contentment. Turin is perfect. I wish I were there right now. I think I’ll try to celebrate my birthday every year in this wonderful city.