Memory Map

      I was born and grew up in a small town called Knin located in southern part of Croatia. The population was about 30,000 residents. Having spent first twelve years of my life there I now have so many great memories of my hometown. The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about Knin is the trees. I have never been in a town or a city with so many trees and parks and that is what made Knin so beautiful, especially in the spring and summer.

      My house was located on a down slope of a hill which was almost in the center of the town. On top of the hill was an old fortress built for defensive purposes many centuries ago. The fortress was only about ten minutes away from my house and that was the place where my friends and I spent most of out free time.

      Going eastward, five minutes walk through the park and there was my school. The school did not have an indoor gym so all the school sports ware played on a school soccer field or a basketball court. The playground for younger children was also close by.

      There were not too many cars in my neighborhood. It was always nice and quiet. Even people that had cars didn’t drive them unless they were going out of town. There really was no need for a car at least in my part of a town, where school, the stores, the hospital, the post office was within ten or so minutes walk.

     Although I have had the best time of my life while living in Knin, I have some sad and tragic memories. The civil war in Croatia was going on for about four years and has finally reached my hometown. My family along with many others was forced to leave their home and seek refuge in a neighboring country of Serbia. The last thing that I remember seeing while leaving my neighborhood were numerous houses and trees burned down to the ground from the constant bombing which occurred a few days earlier. I have never gone back to visit my hometown.

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