"V" Is For Vienna, Austria

Right before my senior year in college, I spent a summer working on building a kindergarten for a church in Linz, Austria. During that summer we took a side trip to the city of Vienna (Wien). As soon as I saw the ornate building facades, the church spires, and the art I felt at home. The streets seemed familiar to me as well. This was my first experience with deja vu.

Years later, when I returned to Vienna, I had a similar sense of great familiarity with the old city that I was visiting with two of my daughters. While one of them flew an airplane between Vienna and Istanbul, Turkey and the other recovered from a cold, I explored the streets alone. Although I was by myself, I felt comfortable and secure. From that experience, my interest in reincarnation grew, and I eventually used that interest as I developed the plot of Hearts Across Forever.

For me, "V" must be for Vienna, Austria. Perhaps the spark of the wanderlust for the Passenger to Paradise was born there.

What do you think about deja vu? Ever had any experiences with it?