City I dislike: Las Vegas, Nassau
I spent one month in Las Vegas in 2018 and six months in Nassau between 2021-22. During both times, the desire to run away frequently popped into my head. One would be surrounded by obnoxiously loud music, drunk tourists, slot machines, and Colombian escorts at restaurants and hotels. The cities don't have much to offer outside of pool parties and tax benefits.
City I think is overrated: LA, Miami
Visited LA and Miami multiple times. LA has good Chinese and Korean food, but traffic was bad in off hours and horrendous in peak. Miami's Asian food scene is non-existent, but luckily they have decent Mexican cuisine. Both cities reminded me I'm on a safari, spotting wild influencers in their natural habitat.
City I like: Vienna, Porto
Things they have in common: Plenty of good restaurants, beautiful landscapes, a mix of contemporary and traditional charm, easily walkable streets, friendly local shops, lively social scenes for people in their 20-30s, and not overly expensive to live in
City I love: Hong Kong
Okay, I know what you'd expect me to say. The city brought me new friends, money, entertainment, laughter, joy. But I'm gonna be real here and tell you what Hong Kong really brought me: healing. When I was deeply sick and depressed, the therapies there saved me.
City I feel most myself in: San Diego Here & Now
In the past, I would undoubtedly answer San Diego, where I spent four formative years of life. When I think of the city I think of my youthful self, her aspirations, and the feeling of being unconditionally accepted for the first time in life.
As I've aged, I am beginning to embody the saying "Your body is your home". Breathing in, I arrive in my body. Breathing out, I feel myself, I am home.
City I still need to visit: Bombay
Been fascinated by Indian culture, food, and society for a while. Partly influenced by my affinity for Ram Dass and yoga, and partly influenced by the kind people I've met. I'm determined to visit Bombay one day.
City I dream of living in: Amsterdam, London
No matter how many times I've visited Amsterdam and London, they seem to delight and surprise me in new ways. The trips never felt long enough. I'd love to experience living there as a local rather than a tourist.
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