At some point in life, I learned that people could, and would, break my heart. I was prepared for that, as much as a person can be. 

What I didn't realize, though, was that places could break your heart too. I didn't know that a place could leave you just as broken and empty as a person could, that a place could leave you wanting more and more until it nearly drives you mad.

You're never the same after something like that. People talk about the way others will take little bits of you when they break your heart, but they never mention the way you leave little bits of yourself behind when you leave a place you've fallen in love with. They don't talk about the way you'll be walking down the street on any given day and feel as though you've forgotten something, only to realize that what you thought was forgotten is just a missing piece of yourself that was left behind.

If you're lucky, you'll go back and find those little bits of yourself, among the cobblestone streets and cafes and bakeries. You'll find yourself again in the chill of the air and the richness of the history and the colors and the entire spirit of the city, and even if only for a while, you'll feel whole again.