1. Iceland. Un f'in believable landscape. Uncharted MTB territory that will take you across killer ancient sheepherder (is that a word?) singletrack down to glacial moraines and up into volcanic martian worlds with some of the most surreal bits of geography in between. Great people, great support of the arts and the outdoors, free heat, 24 hours of daylight in the summer, 24 hours of darkness and drinking in the winter. I spent several weeks there a few years back and it was beyond incredible, breathtaking from the minute the plane lands. Quirky people, places and times the WHOLE TIME. One drawback is the cost of living: 1 pint of beer at a regular type watering hole........12$. you have to bust out the credit card to pay for a round. But then again if time is money and I have to listen to people her complain about gas prices thats time...no one complains about the price of beer in Iceland.
2. Brazil. The coast is dreamy, laid back friendly, warm and its super cheap to live there. Mountains and jungle, rain forest and beach. Crazy massive San Paulo....flying into there makes LA look like a village. Cons: impossible to get any work done due to the pace of the place, my skin looks like shrimp meat there...
3. Bay Area. Sausalito in specific. What a place! Sits right on the bay for great sailing, windsurfing and kayaking. Minutes from Mt Tamalpais and a bunch of other great rides. A hundred spectacular places to see within an hours drive (not even including SF proper). Great culture of people making things, including bikes and anything having to do with bikes. Not sure who said it but sometimes it really rings true: " SF comes up with the ideas that the US exports. LA packages these ideas. NYC sells the packaged product"
Broad statement....no comment.
Cons: too many people doing nothing and talking about it. WAY TOO EXPENSIVE....but you gotta have dreams.
4. SOCAL. LA is so much fun and yeah there is a mall of wilderness fun within an hour or two depending on when you leave from there. but thats the thing, it all feels like a mall out there no matter where you go. who wants to be trapped in a mall, in a car? Its misleading to think everything is so close there, because in the end its just like here if you live near NYC...if you leave in rush hour its double the time it is normally, at best.
5 HERE. I love where i am right now. I do hate commuting to NYC. I am not happy about the taxes here, they are way too high and it seems like every year services are being cut. I haven't owned a car in years. I am extremely proud of the Sopranos as something that couldnt have come from anywhere else.
I get by but I spend a lot of time trying to figure out whats next. I dont want to stay here forever, and I dont want to move back to the city. There are a lot of great things to NJ, great trails, the Pine Barrens, the shore, killer state parks, access to cities, good schools....does everyone everywhere wish they could be elswhere if they could? I don't know. Does the Slurpee exist everywhere else?
Nice thread idea btw!!!