We Italians have a very strong attachment for the place we are born. This concept of a home town is deeply rooted in our way of life. Even those who leave and get totally acculturated have this longing and attachment. The great Leonardo Sciascia wrote that there are two kind of Sicilians those of the sea and those of the sea boulder. Those of the sea leave and are very content while those of the sea boulder are always deracinated. I am one of the latter type. I grow more attached to my beloved Castellammare as I age. This is why I must go there at least twice a year. Do not misunderstand. I absolutely love the United States but it has never been my true home. I call myself a person in voluntary exile. The problem is that after living all these years in The US, I probably would not be very happy living back home. So I dream and make castles in the air to translate an Italian say.
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