Favorite Places, Revisited
Meet Chris — By Chris on September 23, 2009 at 11:09 pm
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As journalists, my coworkers and I tend to seek out the novel and unexplored. As reporter Laura Bly puts it, “My favorite place is the next place.” Plus I’ll never make it to the Century Club if I keep going back to the same countries and cities.
That being said, there usually are a few destinations where I’d happily return again and again. We were talking about this in the office today so I came up with my list when I came home.
1. Rome. A lifetime is not enough. Sigh. (not to mention, the Pantheon is my favorite building in the world).
2. Sanibel Island, Fla. It’s where I vacationed on holidays from high school on, where my parents bought their second home and where I got married (well, close enough – technically, the ceremony took place on adjoining Captiva Island). As soon as I walk through the Ft. Myers airport, I start to relax. When I get to the Gulf of Mexico, I’m almost comatose. I go here to sleep and read and watch the waves. Rejuvinating.
3. New Orleans. The music, the food, the memories. Mardi Gras or Jazzfest, every year I feel the need to go to at least one. Laissez le bon temps roule.
4. Costa Rica. The 10 days I spent on this country’s Caribbean coast last year only whet my appetite to explore the rest of the country. Pura Vida!
5. United Kingdom. London calling, indeed. Yep, I’m an Anglophile. Maybe it’s all those bios of Stuart and Tudor kings I studied, or maybe it’s the Shakespeare plays and Austen novels I read. From the Scottish highlands to the Welsh wildlands, I’ve taken notes on much of this small island - and I know there’s still more to see.
So that’s my list – what’s yours?
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9 Comments
Great topic, Chris — just thinking about it this evening, actually. Near the top of my list is Penang, Malaysia. I just love that city! Just love the blend of architecture, cuisine and cultures. It’s truly “The Pearl of the Orient”! Rows upon rows of century-old shophouses and beautiful villas really lend the city (well the downtown core, at least) a unique atmosphere — quite unlike anywhere else I’ve been!
Great idea to revisit London (where I am!). I would also love to revisit Costa Rica, where my parents live, and Rome too.I’ve recently created a list of 25 food & travel destinations to cover in the next five years, part of the masterplan for my blog (http://www.worldfoodieguide.com/index.php/25-food-travel-destinations/). Some are revisits and some are new destinations…
There comes a point, I think, when we say, “Enough new; I want the familiar.” That’s when we make pilgrimages to those spots that are as much a home to our memories as they are a point of interest, beauty or culture. For me, those places are an organic farm in Southern Vermont; a bedroom community just outside Stockholm; the sleepy town of Pokhara in central Nepal; and an empty stretch of beach on the Baja peninsula.
Great topic…it makes me smile to think of these spots.
After living abroad for several stretches, I’ve come to the point where I like going back to certain haunts… my short list? Kiawah Island- great mix of relaxation with opportunities for visiting Charleston if you wish. Bethany Beach, DE; many great memories with friends and family. Lastly, the Cotswolds in the U.K.- I’ve been to many of the little villages for pub lunches and rambles but it never gets old.
Your post came in my Google Sanibel Alerts, that’s why I dropped by.
I would have to put Sanibel Island right at the very top of my list.