Friday, October 10, 2008

Well, I drug your ghost across the country and we plotted out my death. In every city, memories would whisper: "Here is where you rest."

so recently i have realized that i have been to a lot of foreign countries and a big chunk of the u.s. of A but, I have only really ever "lived" in mexico, utah, and, idaho. which leaves a vast space of emptiness in my knowledge of just where i would like to live. it turns out that here in the next few months (give or a take a few more) i will be looking for a new place of residence. here is teh preliminary list that has been compiled, i would really appreciate any info on living in these places that you might have, like in particular "will i like it? ïs there any good whitewater kayaking near by?" "hows the food?" "what about the music scene?" "will my friend ben's kids be safe if he came and visited me?" "I really like tree and mountains (mountains not hills), how about that?"

so here you go in no particular order

florida (like the university of miami area)
kentucky (again uni of kentucky area)
california (oh you know like the santa barbara, or maybe irvine or palo alto)
georgia (this is on the second choice level, but hey you never know)
connecticut
kansas
maybe texas, austin has a great music scene you know
pitt is an option
toronto
and i am throwing out a couple of ideas that i have been playing with lately
puerto rico
ireland
and if possible cuba

7 comments:

Ben said...

I know it's cliche but Ireland is a magical. It is the first place I ever felt a real telluric connection to place. If you do go, check out County Kerry, and stay at the Lake Hotel, wake up early and write a poem by the lake while the deer wander through the hotel grounds and fade into the woods. Lexington isn't bad, lots of rolling green hills, lots of farm land on the outskirts. If I ever decided to live in California permanently, it would be in Santa Barbara county. Though they are bitter cold, New England winters remind me of Charles Dickens, hot chocolate, and the lamp post in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe...something familiar, as if it were something a dream that I had long ago.

emily said...

making lists of where to live is a hobby of mine, too. usually it's a list of big cities, though: as a general rule, kansas and kentucky don't make the list.

i could see you in austin. not that i really know anything about austin, it's just a gut feeling sort of thing without putting too much thought into it. but i imagine i'd find you happy in austin.

maybe georgia, atlanta anyway. maybe. how did that one make the list?

and toronto would be cool, very cool, frigid really. but you do like your jackets.

oh and palo alto made the list!? for you in northern california i'm feeling more like sacramento might be a cool town for you. or san jose? (san francisco is a given) but if you don't move to palo alto, at least come visit!

i might get back to you later with more in-depth analyses (you asked...)

emily said...

p.s.

i was determined in chicago but i dug my teeth into my knees and i settled for a telephone sang into your machine 'you are my sunshine my only sunshiiiiiine you make me happy oh when skies are gray and gray and gray'

which reminds me, it's friday, which means skywatch day, and it's easy to participate, if you're interested...

(thanks for setting that song playing in my head)

Mac said...

Hey. Oregon. I think there is even a professor who loves to kayak (ho-oh!).

Tyson said...

Ok, this all depends on how long you want to stay in these places. If you're talking a year or two then almost any of them should be interesting (except Toronto, in my opinion. I was just there a month ago and hated it).

If it were me, I would rank that list like this:

1. Anywhere in Southern California (you might consider San Diego or Oceanside also. Long Beach of course.)
2. Austin (although you'll have to learn to like football if you want to survive)
3. Pittsburgh (Great city, lots of stuff to do, great schools, Philly and DC are just around the corner, great food)
4. Louisville (nice college town and its close to a few other cool places: Cincinnati, Indianapolis)
5. New Haven (although if you're gonna go all that way, Portland Maine might be more up your alley)
6. Lawrence (quiet, close to Kansas City)
7. Savannah (If you're gonna be in Georgia, its the only viable option)
8. Miami (although I would suggest you locate someplace relatively safe from natural disasters like Gainesville if you insist on living in Florida)

Others you might consider in no particular order:

Portland
Anchorage
Santa Fe
Chicago
St. Paul
New Orleans

Jared Blanco said...

Well if Irvine isn't burnt to the ground by next week, I will give you my two cents.

TreeSister1 said...

I vote Northern Virginia. There's actually a little bit of everything within about a days drive. Unless of course you mind humidity, which isn't really all that bad compared to some places...