I’ve written a fair number of serious posts in the past week or so mainly because a lot of serious events have been happening. I’ve tried to remain silent on politics and just be mostly a lighthearted blog, but I’ve realized I cannot be silent anymore. Today, however, I want to be a little bit lighter, but I need your help. Many of us dream of living someplace other than where we currently are while some people are exactly where they want to be. They cannot imagine living anywhere else.
I used to think I wanted to live in the mountains until I moved to Vermont. That dream had been to live somewhere in the Great Smokey Mountains. I never dreamed it would be in the Green Mountains of Vermont. Some people want to live on the beach. I’m not one of them although I enjoy visiting there occasionally. If I had to choose a beach, it would be one on the Gulf Coast somewhere along the Florida panhandle between the Alabama-Florida border and Panama City Beach. Unfortunately, it’s just too damn hot down there, and the sand constantly gets stuck in places where sand should never be. Also, that area is known as the “Redneck Riviera;” the politics are far too conservative for me. I love the emerald beaches and sugary white sand, but to visit only.
Another dream was to live in Florence, Italy, but I’ve realized now how tough it is living so far from my family. Instead, I will settle for wishing I could visit Florence, or Italy in general, on a regular basis. I’ve been to Florence twice, and it’s still one of my favorite places. Some people claim it’s too touristy, but I loved it. First, the city is beautiful. The art museums can’t be beat except maybe for some in Rome or in Paris. Second, the food is fantastic and always so fresh. Then there are the streets where you can almost get lost except you can usually see the Duomo from anywhere and can navigate your way back to the cathedral and get your bearings. I loved getting a gelato to cool off then walking into a store and buying a bottle of wine. They give you a glass so you can wander around the city at night enjoying the street performers and various forms of entertainment that are seemingly everywhere. My only issue was I was alone and didn’t have anyone with whom to enjoy my time there.
My one constant dream, though, has been to live in a relatively quiet area of the New Orleans French Quarter. The picture above reminds me of Tennessee Williams sitting on his balcony in the French Quarter watching the people pass by and dreaming of new and entertaining stories to tell. New Orleans has its characters, and the food is to die for—so tasty but also so rich you’d be happy if you died after eating one of their sublime meals. I know New Orleans has its drawbacks. The smell when you first arrive is off-putting, but eventually, you don’t notice it. Then there are the masses of drunk tourists, the rampant crime that is prevalent in the city, and the bright lights and noise of Bourbon Street. But…I love the Gay District that begins at the intersection of Bourbon and St. Ann; Bourbon Pub, Oz, and Good Friends are always so much fun. Also, there is my favorite straight bar, Pat O’Brien’s, where they make one of my favorite drinks, a hurricane. And always, there is the wonderful jazz music wafting down the streets. In many ways, it’s like the easygoing feel of a European city; the culture and history are unique and awe-inspiring.
Perhaps one day, I could live in New Orleans and travel to Florence during the craziness that is Mardi Gras. That would be ideal. Plus, from New Orleans, I’d be close enough to visit a favorite Florida beach, and at other times, I could drive up to the Great Smokey Mountains. These are my dream places.
So, here is where I want your help: If you could live anywhere in the world and not worry about money or working and just be carefree and enjoy life, where would you go? Where are your dream places? And why?
I don’t often get a lot of comments, but I know a good number of people visit my blog each day. I would love for you to comment on this post. Maybe you’ve lurked around my blog and not commented for whatever reason. Please comment now. Perhaps you comment regularly then by all means please comment now. Or this could be your first time here so why not comment now? I really love getting to know my readers, so tell me, where would you love to live?
17 comments:
Hi Joe
I would probably pick Spain for the heat and lovely beaches, or return back to Ireland, living in England isn't much fun anymore, like you we have a fool running the country and determine to cut all ties with Europe.
Hopefully your nightmare will come to an end in November.
Patrick
I love these types of questions. I am a native New Englander and like being near my family but if money and family weren't a consideration, I would choose South America from November thru April (possibly Buenos Aires, Argentina or somewhere along the Brazilian coast) and from May thru October Southern Europe (with Italy, Portugal and South of France being top picks).
I'm 69yo and I lived in around 15 towns and cities in Province of Québec and even in Sudbury Ontario in 1974-75.
I can only say that each location has its plus and less plus advantages.
No place is perfect.
I also visited many other countries, USA included and I liked visiting them but not to live there.
I now live in Montréal, Province of Québec, Canada, since April 2007 and this is my favorite place to live over any other places in the world.
Montréal is very gay friendly. I can go everywhere by metro, shopping and going to shows etc..
Winters aren't that bad when you are used to and summer is wonderful.
I love my country for many other reasons like open minded people living here, our universal health care system and our freedom of expression which is also open for many ways of thinking except for extremists.
As I said first, no place is perfect but here, the pluses overcome the negative.
Vancouver
Nick from Brazil
I have lived all over the world. My father was in the military. We lived in many places in the US-New York, Michigan, North Dakota, two tours-Okinawa, Japan, and Sacramento/Rancho Cordova. I was in the military for a little over 4 years and my first assignment was in Wiesbaden, Germany and my last assignment was in Wichita Falls Texas. Once out of the military I moved to Dallas to start my undergrad. After six years I moved to Denver and DC several times. I have also lived in LA and Las Vegas for extended periods of time.
So I have been to many places. I have met many people. As I get older-63-I wish to live somewhere quite. I never needed the big city but wanted to be close enough to dip in.
I also love the outdoors and the change of seasons. Spring and Fall are my favorite. I don't mind the snow. I just don't want Alaska snow.
I have migrated back to my condo in Denver. I love the seasons. I love the hiking trails to the west. Denver has grown over the years. It is not crazed like New York, LA, or DC.
Now, if I can find employment to support my basic needs I will be set.
If money was not an option I would live abroad. I would have Denver as my home base. Now I am half Canadian-my mom. I don't have duel citizenship. I have thought about moving to Canada. I love Europe-Germany, Belgium, the outskirts of London... I love European sensibility. When I lived in German I loved their outlook of life. The people weren't hung-up about gay sexuality as Americans were-Victorian. I remember meeting men who were married. I was surprised they were out catting around in gay meeting places. The general rule was as long as you took care of your family things were fine.
So there you have my answer in a round-about way.
What an imaginative and lovely post! My ideal city to live in would be Melbourne, Australia, which has everything one wants for a pleasant life. Florence is wonderful as well, but too many tourists, although you can avoid them without much difficulty, but I am not sure about the difficulties that life in Italy presents. Roderick
On an island in Greece.
Background: born in Quebec City, grew up in 3 different cities in the province of Quebec. Been living in Ottawa for more than 30 years (!). Still consider myself a Quebecer living in Ontario. Married to a wonderful ex-Torontonian with roots in Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island.
If money was no object: April to September in Paris, France; October to March in Sydney, Australia. Of course, lots of travalling from these two places, and regular visits back to Canada.
Realistically: Ottawa is 2 hours from Montreal, 4 1/2 hours from Toronto, 5 hours to Quebec City, so I can essily go to many interesting places. And being in the middle of two major Air Canada hubs (Toronto and Montreal) means I'm just a short flight away to almost anywhere in the world (can you tell I like to travel? ;-).
Bottom line: I've always enjoyed living where life brought me to. Lucky Canuck, eh!
First time comment from me, so you have finally coaxed me out of the closet. My husband and I have retired north of Brisbane, in Queensland (Australia) and we are living in our dream location. Our house backs on to rainforest and we are 10 minutes from dozens of beaches. We have great health care options, plenty of shops and yet the area is not metropolitan. We are surrounded by national parks and recreational areas. We have great neighbours and a friendly community that is inclusive of LGBTIQ folks. It is warm all year round with plenty of sunshine. We own our house and we have independent income plus a government pension. We have travelled all over the world, to more than 70 countries, over the last 60 odd years, but there is no place like home, which for us, is right here.
I love being in Eastern Massachusetts with the beautiful coastline and boating, with all the history, and with all the culture — especially Boston, with the symphony and other musical organizations. Bt I heartily dislike the cold of winter, and as I age, trekking in to Boston seems increasingly a chore.
Rothenburg, Germany, where I made a number of friends, is attractive, and I enjoy German cuisine — but I suppose winters are cold.
Grasse, France, the home of Admiral deGrasse, is pleasantly located near the Mediterranean.
Mountain landscapes are beautiful. Would something in the southern Appalachians fill the bill?
The daily life in a Benedictine monastery is attractive. If I could somehow come to live in the one in Manchester, NH, and stay indoors during the winter, that could be wonderful. But it's nothing I could just decide to do.
We had neighbors who moved because of work to Hawaii. The mother wrote to my mother that the weather was "monotonously heavenly." Temperatures would get into the 80's every day and stay pleasant overnight. That sounds perfect. I wouldn't even need to wear clothes except around other people. Hawaii it is for this old man.
Hello Joe. I live in a suburb of Montreal and I love it, but given the chance I would move to Barcelona in a heartbeat. We have seen a lot of Europe and I have never been in a city with such a beautiful soul. The people are lovely, architecture is gorgeous, the food is terrific and it feels even more gay friendly then Montreal. We saw a lot of gay couples with children and people were not bothered in the least. My husband and I adopted a baby boy in 2019 and we would feel like it is a safe place to raise him.
Big hug,
Giac
My favorite city is Naples, Italy. It has a forbidding reputation as a dark and dangerous place, but I have been there several times and it is an unexplored jewel. The streets are narrow and often steep, and filled with people living interesting lives. The setting on the bay, with Vesuvius in the background, is extraordinary. The people are kind, the food terrific. As for crime, watch out for pickpockets, but I've never felt at risk. The churches are splendid, the Archeological Museum is full of treasures from Pompeii, and there is a royal palace to boot. The young people (men and women) are gorgeous, and their display of sexuality is something to behold.
There are so many good choices. If money were no object, I would pick several places and spend 1-6 months in each, and when I became a bit bored, move on to the next. With services like AirBnB these short term stays are possible.
Singapore, Bali, Penang, Phuket, Bangkok, Ibiza, Montevideo......
I was so happy to see all the wonderful comments on this post. I asked and y'all answered. Some of you are lucky enough to live exactly where you want to; others are happy where they live, but wouldn't mind living in their dream destination. I fall into the category of wanting to be somewhere else more to my liking. Many of you chose beautiful and exotic locations. I'd like to visit all of those places. (And by the way, if I am destined to live this far north, I'd prefer to learn French and move to Montreal. It is a city that I have really grown to love.)
I just wanted to thank you all for your wonderful comments. It means so much to me when you comment on my posts. While I can see that people visit the blog, it's really gratifying when I get to interact with the people who read what I write.
Thank you,
Joe
I'd pick Rome to live, easy to travel to the rest of Italy, southern Europe and eastern Europe. I've been to Rome twice but barely scratched the surface of what to see, eat and do. And I could take advantage of the Italian I've learned the last few years - can't wait to visit again. Of course, Montreal and Quebec City are on my to-do list. Great idea for a post Joe.
John R, Columbus OH
I'm with you on Italy, however, I would choose the Cinque Terre region in Liguria. I've visited 3 of the 5 towns, hiked the mountains connecting the towns, rode the train thru the towns and spent many nights just sitting in my B&B listening to the waves crash against the rocky shoreline while sipping either a glass of Chianti or a lemon cello. The people in the north are so pleasant and kind and would give you the shirt off their backs to please you. When you're there... you're truely FAMILY.
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