Location, Location...

Ever since I've started the tedious task of job hunting, I've been thinking hard about what makes a place appealing and what doesn't. Sometimes, I rely on sites like yelp or Sperling's best place to find other's opinions. And I've come to the conclusion that the ideal city should have more things going on than where I'm currently living, as well as affordable housing. I dread the idea of living in apartment complexes, because my experience with living in apts hasn't been that great, considering that the current neighbor smokes and occasionally pounds on the walls.

To digress, I've noticed that many places that I'd love to visit are not the same places where I want to move to (at this point), mostly because the housing is ridiculously high, and unemployment rate is higher in bigger metropolis too. But I've made a list of places that I like as vacation spots, or ones that I'm interested in visiting. They are in no particular order.

1. China

This was the first place that came to mind, because I haven't been back to China for SO long! I really miss my relatives and friends there, esp when Chinese New Year is just around the corner. I Also want to visit other cities like Shanghai and Beijing.

2. Paris

Yes, arguably one of the most overrated tourist spots in Europe if not in the world. I like it for the vibrant art scene, and I hear that Paris is just gorgeous in the spring. There's even a shoe museum in Paris.

3. San Francisco

I've been there a few times, and feel that this town is so different than LA. I really enjoyed SF, but felt that I haven't explored enough of it. Also, Santa Rosa and Napa valley are just around SF. I want to visit Santa Rosa just because they have the Peanuts museum featuring Snoopy and the whole gang. :)

4. Vancouver

Even though I lived in Toronto before I came to SLC, I didn't have the chance to visit Vancouver. I've seen pictures of the Jasper National Park, and it took my breath away. I guess the culture in Vancouver bears similarities to Seattle, very outdoorsy.

5. Rome/Venice

Authentic Italian food + Venice Carnevale + good coffee, what more do I need to say?

6. Scandinavia

I heard good things about this region. Just from looking at photos, I really love the architectures in the cities. Oh, and they have H&M. :)

7. Prague

I think eastern europe as a whole is underrated when it comes to tourism. People probably don't realize how much it has changed after the Soviet rules. But I really want to see it in person.

8. Istanbul

While browsing over a travel magazine, I read this article about Istanbul, Turkey. And that was enough to get me interested. Istanbul is the intersection for Asian, Middle Eastern, and Western cultures. That alone makes it fascinating because there's not alot of other places where these cultures can coexist peacefully. And judging by the photos, Istanbul is hipper than I thought. And there're belly dancers performing in cafes, draped in glamorous costumes (lots of glitters and bling, bling).

9. Barcelona

I'm curious to try Spanish food, and also there're tons of cool museums there, the most famous being the Dali and Picasso exhibit.

10. Osaka

For some reason, I'm not as interested in Tokyo than I am in Osaka. I think it's because Tokyo is so commercialized, like Hong Kong, whereas Osaka has more traditional culture. As a tourist, I want to see more of the local culture, not just another bank or subway station.

11. NYC

It's the center of the universe (at least for New Yorkers). What I find appealing about NYC is the different neighborhoods, soho, china town, TriBeca, meat-packing district (DVF's headquarter).

Suggestions to add to this list is welcome. :)