The Cities I have lived in, loved and loathed

My many cities

A born wanderer and forever finding a place I feel home in, I realized that it will always be many, and I am ok with that. It’s all about the chapters and wonderful people along the way.

Shop some of my travel essentials or my children’s travel book

Aside from my love of travel exploration, I am someone who has lived in many places, sometimes for work or simply a need for change. I am always chasing that sense of “home” but have come to realize that it will always be many different places for me - for family, friends, connection to or sense of place - and I am ok with that. I have stayed in some places for long stretches (NYC, London, Vancouver, Los Angeles & Palm Springs), while I have had extended stays to dig in to cities like Rome, Barcelona, Charleston, Savannah, Nashville and Austin. It’s not for everybody, but it is for me, and there are a lot of people out there doing the same, many who I call dear friends or simply crossed paths with & had wonderful conversations. As some of us working increasing remotely, there are more options than ever, and with time so short, why not? In the words of Bruce Springsteen - “Baby, we were born to run”

Want to spend some extended time in a place on a budget? Explore Trusted Housesitters, which I have used many times

I should preface this by saying while not every place was a fit for me, I will never trash somewhere - we all have our own fits, and I have friends or family still in all of these places. And for anyone reading this outside of the USA or Canada, know this: we are nations of wanderers. We have great big open land and a lot of cities, towns or countryside to choose from. It is common for people - especially Americans - to move a lot, between hometowns, college, jobs, changes, and more. So while I have moved more that most - both for career, family and change of pace - just know many that I am far from unusual here, and my closest friends have all lived in at least 4 cities each. It should also be said, that I am both American and Canadian, and have a very long lineage in both that predate their founding. So here we go, in chronological order:

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

I always knew I was born in the wrong place. In fact, none of my family grew up here before, and I was supposed to be born and raised in my American mother’s hometown of Denver, Colorado, but life (and job opportunities) had other plans for my Canadian father. But growing up curious about sophisticated big city cultures like New York and London, I always felt out of place here. Alberta certainly has spectacular landscape amid the Rocky Mountains - think Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise - and I certainly grew up on a safe bubble of kind people, the grip of hockey mania, and big oil business that ran the province. But the cities…are not for me. In fact, most of my childhood friends have since moved on aside from those who took over family businesses. I never go back anymore, though I will say that the summer in Edmonton, with its river valley, and the many festivals (like the Folk Fest) are a nice touch, as is the fun annual Calgary Stampede. As a nice bonus, I grew up road tripping through Montana and Wyoming on route to see family in Colorado every year. Visit Travel Alberta

Denver, Colorado, USA

I technically never lived here BUT I did spend most of my summers growing up here, visiting extended family in both Denver and Boulder, where my parents went to school. I have road tripped around most of the state, and it always feels welcoming to me, and apparently to the many people moving to Colorado. I don’t blame you, given its beauty, progressiveness and opportunities. Many of the same things that brought my great-grandparents to the state to run multiple buinesses’ and a wild west town a century ago. As a bonus, the proximity to New Mexico is fitting given that right next door, and was home to my Spanish and Native American ancestors who were settled there for hundreds of years. I guess you really are connected to places for a reason. Throw in the skiing, hiking and festivals from Apen to Vail, Beaver Creek, Telluride and more, and anyone would be sold. Visit Colorado

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

An obvious choice for my undergrad University (hello UBC), Vancouver is now perhaps the most popular destination in Canada for good reason, given all of its beauty and outdoor activities. Lucky for me, a lot of my immediate family lives there now too so I return often (ditto for stars like Ryan Reynolds, Seth Rogen, Michael J Fox and many more). Mountains, ocean, epic seafood, Hollywood North…sign me up. Anyone driving around British Columbia, will be wowed at it’s spectacular scenery. Also pricey, but everyone must visit at least once to explore Vancouver, Victoria, Whistler, Okanagan wine country, and so much more. Visit Vancouver Tourism and BC Tourism

New York City, New York, USA

Immediately feeling like home, I set my sights on NYC early, and still call it the best education of my life, owing my career to the city. I first came for an internship at Seventeen Magazine, and never left. In fact, I have moved back multiple times, explored nearly the entire state, and still dream of the Hudson Valley and the perfect Autumn season. I love the history, architecture, sophistication, creativity, arts, culture, smarts, and so much more. Is it for everybody? No (but it is very different when you actually get to live and immerse yourself), Is it for me? Yes, though I don’t currently live there and don’t think I could live full time again, as I now crave more space and calm - but I am back multiple times throughout the year, will always consider it one of my homes, it’s filled with some of my favorite people, and I am forever on zillow looking at dream properties I can’t (yet) afford. It is expensive and I had multiple apartments, but one is out and about often, so you have an entire city for a backyard for someone who is a big walker and subway user ( loves to meander), with plenty of fun trips just a train trip away (think upstate NY & CT), Hudson valley, Montauk, and more). Visit NYC Tourism and NYC State Tourism

Los Angeles, California, USA

Full disclosure, I never thought I would live here, even though I have always loved California and the bight lights of Hollywood lore. I moved for a big job opportunity (leading communications at the famous Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills and sitting on the board of directors for Rodeo Drive). It took me a long while to warm up to it - which is not unusual for many, especially those of us who came from NYC - but once I really dug in, and understood that the city was really a collection of unique towns (and fabulous latin culture) under the umbrella of Los Angeles, I warmed to it. It is a beast of a city, and takes a lot of adventure to figure it out, but it too is rich with culture, food, arts, and more. I found myself enjoying the many wonderful roadtrips to be had around the city as well (Encinitas, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, Big Bear & Lake Arrowhead), and enjoy it more all the time. There really is so much to see and do, I loved there for years and am still figuring it out. Prices here have also risen significantly, but Los Angeles county is much more that they usual neighborhoods people name drop, so there are always plenty of options in the state with the largest economy (and fresh fruit & vegetables) in the union. Visit Los Angeles Tourism and California Tourism

Palm Springs, California, USA

I have spent a lot of time here, as a kid and as an adult. It is the desert playground of Canadian snowbirds, Western Americans, and old Hollywood afterall, and one of nine connected desert towns, not to mention Idyllwild just up the mountain or nearby Joshua Tree. Perhaps my favorite airport in the nation, it is an easy flight to nearly everywhere given people regularly come for vacation or a winter space, from all over. There is an enormous arts, LGBT, and retirement community, and large annual events including the International Film Festival, Modernism week, and BNP Paribas Tennis Open. In recent years, it has brought in more younger and remote workers, as a lovely place to live with easy proximity to San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. I personally love the vibe, the weather, the desert calm - it’s my safe space, and my entire family comes here often still, as do people I grew up with. Visit Palm Springs

London, England, UK

Also immediately felt like a comfortable fit, which could be partially from my love of English literature and film (I have a degree in the former), and my English-Canadian side of the family that shares all of the same commonwealth sensibilities and subtle culturalisms. Having already lived in NYC for a longtime, large cities don’t overwhelm me, and London really is a much calmer, civilized version with lovely large parks and artist institutions, and history everywhere you go. Again, I am big on walking, subways, and trains, so I could explore anywhere at a drop of a hat. I loved the village feels of the many neighborhoods, especially mine in North London (Belsize Park near Hampstead). I moved there for work, overseeing communications for the Four Seasons UK Collection, which meant I got to head out to lovely Hampshire often as well, and never missed an opportunity to visit a new city (including Brighton, Bath, Edinburgh, and more), not to mention frequent train rides to Paris or a quick flight to Ireland. I could easily live there still, even though I missed the entrepreneurial spirit and outgoingness of Americans - I still return often for favorite people and activities, and continue to consult on UK-US business. Visit London and Visit the UK

Where to next: I feel that I will always need to move between locations, to both be close-ish to family, but also fill those other things I love so much. I am largely bicoastal at this point, between California and New York, but will see what the future will bring. High on my list? Spain. Many of my ancestors came from it, and I have always adored my time there. I have also spent extended periods for work and month-long travel sublets in Charleston, Savannah, Austin, Nashville, Toronto, Chicago, San Francisco, Paris, Rome, and Barcelona. All wonderful cities and completely unique - if you have the option to spend a month at a time in some new locations to shake things up or test out a new potential homebase, I highly recommend it.

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