Do you put limits on your dreams? Let me explain. I had a friend (okay really it was an ex) who would come up with fantastic imaginary scenarios. For example if we were discussing clothes and what I would like to wear or what I would like to buy, he would say things like, “If I were a woman I would buy (insert ridiculously overpriced item of clothing or shoes here)?” I would counter with, “That’s absurd there is no way you could afford that!” He would come back with, “If I am pretending to be a woman, why would I pretend to be a poor woman. I might as well imagine myself rich.” He really made me realize that even when I allow myself to imagine the impossible or very improbable, I still somehow make myself reign it in. Why? Why not get everything that I want in my imagination?
So let’s go on an imaginary tangent shall we?
I love living in San Francisco. Love it! But let’s say that money is no object and I could live anywhere I wanted to. Where would I live? Well, since I refuse to limit my options in this imaginary real estate market of mine, I think I would choose multiple locations. I would keep a stately home in San Francisco, but the rest of the year I could visit my other homes in…
- Perhaps Del Mar, California. Why? Well, it’s an upscale beach town in Southern California that would put me close to my extended family, but not too close. I’d be close to the beach. I’m not a beach person, but I have to live near the ocean. I cannot imagine being landlocked.
- Hawaii. I can’t choose a specific place because I’ve never been there, but my husband was born and raised in O’ahu. I’m told Hawaii is paradise or at least looks like it. We could live there when it’s cold everywhere else and maybe have a coffee plantation (why not?).
- Manhattan, NY. I could never get bored there. In this fantasy world of mine, I would have unlimited funds to dine out, see plays, and soak up all the available culture. I might even start my own theater company that is committed to multi-cultural casting.
Even here I’ve limited myself. I’ve only shared 3 of my imaginary dream homes with you and they are all in the U.S. Surely, my dreams can extend to other countries as well. They do, but for brevity’s sake I’ve just given you a sampling. My imaginary possibilities are endless.
What about you? If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
This post was sponsored by Homes and Real Estate Blog. However, the opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.
iasa says
Everywhere
unknownmami says
See? That is truly limitless.
Hope you are well.
Tina says
I’d love to live in Boston. I an old apartment with no yard. And I would love to take one solid year to travel all over the world with my family.
Best,
Tina
BLOGitse says
Spanish spoken country.
We lived in Spain for two years, I love Spanish.
Or Australia. Even the winter is better than Europe… 🙂
MiMi says
So many different places I could imagine! The first that comes to mind is London. 🙂
unknownmami says
That would be great for me because then I could stay with you in London. Feel free to use my imaginary home in Paris.
Rosie says
Love your idea of your own theater company committed to multi-cultural casting! In my imaginary world, my teenage son can be the first playwright of Mexican descent to write, direct and act in a play in NYC!
Auntnikki12 says
What do you know… it was actually on the news this very morning that Hawaii ranks as #1 of the happiest state. My thought was “no shit” because I’d like to be near the ocean too. Not Beachy myself, but Oceany, yes.
I would want to live in Century City. I think that is what it is called. Very tip of No Cal near the OR border? The city itself sucks… but the location is prime. One side of ocean right up to your door…. the other side backed up by the redwood forest. Perfct.
Daogreer Earth Works says
I would definitely have multiple locations! Luckily, (at least the city) would be where I’m living now.
As Cape Cod Turns says
The southern coast of France. It would be big enough for all of my friends (blog and otherwise) to come visit and it would be close enough to my apartment in Paris 🙂
Kimberly says
I love it! I would also like to try international residency – England, Italy, South Africa, Ireland…places I’ve been where I’d love to live.
Chris H says
If I could live anywhere in the world it would have to be right here where my Family is!
If I could take them with me… I would still live right here! It’s a lovely country, it’s safe… and clean…. the only think it lacks is a really decent Amusement Park!
I love rides…. lol….. I’m just a big kid really.
Classic NYer says
If you lived in Manhattan, I’d visit you more often. 😉
Anonymous says
What a great post. I love that one of your choices are here in SD, I love this town but it is sooo expensive. I agree with you about New York but I don’t think I would make it a choice of mine.
I would pick Coronado, Ca. One of my fave. places to wander around pretending to be a resident.
Paris, I love the culture.
Charleston, North Carolina. The culture, the beauty.
Guadalajara Mexico, the culture and the beauty once again.
Honeypiehorse says
Portland OR – my favorite city! Or Tokyo, my 2nd favorite.
Del Mar is nice but I went to UCSD and it’s dead after 10 – we called it ‘God’s waiting room for admirals’ because all the navy mucky mucks retire there. Amazing Mexican food though!
lisleman says
Multiple places with multitude of money – Ok – Costa Rica, Ireland, Slovenia, Aruba, Montana, Chicago – Ok that’s six places. Imagination or not, time moving back and forth between places could become unpleasant if it was too many too often.
Anonymous says
San Francisco for sure….Park City, Utah and NYC
Anonymous says
Right where I am now, plus houses in La Jolla, Hawaii (maybe Maui) and Sydney …and a of course have a private Lear Jet to take me there.
Angelcel / Jayne
unknownmami says
Well, look at that! Two of our imaginary homes would be near each other.
mimbles says
For our primary residence I’d stick with Sydney but go for somewhere with harbour views, or maybe even harbour frontage with a little pier and a boathouse. Has to be close to public transport, walking distance to a ferry wharf perhaps, failing that, a train station. Buses are no good. And somehow magically no further from my parents, friends and the kids’ schools than we are right now.
Then there’d be the country estate in the Southern Highlands (a couple of hours south of Sydney), acreage with a nice pine forest on it where we could host historical reenactment events.
And a holiday house at Port Stephens (couple of hours north of Sydney) with lots of space for friends to come away with us and no more than a stone’s throw from the beach.
It’s possible I’ve thought about this a little too much way before now. Fantasies are fun 🙂
Shell says
Del Mar would be fun, but the water is too cold and murky.
unknownmami says
Hmmm, I didn’t think about that.
LindyLouMac says
Italy in the summer and somewhere warm in the winter months 🙂
Anonymous says
I’m not sure. I want a cabin in the woods on the beach! I love Del Mar, that would be a great town to live in. I’ve never been to Hawaii or Manhattan.
Anonymous says
At the library there are DVDs touring places. We looked at a lovely little tour of Canada recently and I have been to Canada several times. Good for you to have dreams and let them fly. Next you can have online home trading and pet sitting. Ha.
Classic NYer says
I answered on my blog: http://adf.ly/lMUV
Anonymous says
I’d actually love to live right where you do – – SF! But Manhattan would be incredible too. Of all places though, I think I’d love Miami the most.
betty says
Del Mar is nice; I can see why you would choose that. I know what you mean about being land locked; been there, done that and it is so different than having the ocean as a reference point of where west is.
I might be a bit morbid, but I imagine sometimes what I would do when hubby dies if he dies before me. Where would I live, etc. It changes depending what is going on with our lives and we struggle where we want to retire. I’m going to say in San Diego area, where I’m currently at. Both of us have lived here longer than anywhere else. We know it the best and it is gorgeous in places. So I’ll say San Diego 🙂
betty
Anonymous says
oooh! Definitely NYC, and Vancouver, Canada. and Hawaii (again!!) maybe on a smaller island this time. Oh, and on an island of our own in the middle of the ocean – a secret “hidden” place all of our own! and maybe somewhere in the Bahamas – oh and a vacation home in the Rockies for skiing and snowboarding. 😀 sigh. Man, dreaming is nice. 🙂 (did I mention I live in a VERY landlocked location currently! lol)
~Karli
Eva Gallant says
Hawaii would definitely by on my list; maybe some place on the beach in California. I live 3 miles from the ocean here in Maine, and would definitely want a home on the ocean here, too.
unknownmami says
I think once you’ve lived by the ocean, it’s hard to live without it.
Myya says
Hmmmm let’s see, I’d have a home in Vegas (because hubby would love me for that), a home in Saywatanayo (because Shawshank made it sound ahhh-mazing) and a big ole cabin in the mountains (why not, I’d already have the sun, the fun & now I;d have the snow:)
Carmen Henesy aka RNSANE says
I think I’d vary my locale from time to time….Barcelona, one of my favorite places in the world, Portofino, Italy ( though I’d want my lottery winnings ), Monte Carlo, the beautiful island of Madeira in the north Atlantic, London, Singapore, Bali, Sydney, Auckland, Buenos Aires, Interlaken, Switzerland, Santorini. I’ve been to all those place and said I need to live at least six much in each spot. I guess it’s never going to happen but I repeatedly go to those places in my thoughts and dreams.
Mrs4444 says
I’m pretty content right where I am, but I sure would like to vacation once in a while. Hawaii is on my list. I think your picks are nicely well-rounded.
Betsy @ www.zen-mama.com says
I, like you, love where I live in Colorado! But I might try Paris for a while. Maybe Hawaii to see if I’d miss winter (I’ve always thought I would). I’ve also thought that I could try New Zealand. But I think I’d always end up back here in Colorado!
del says
Melbourne is home and as long as we are here this house is home but in my imaginary world I would own it and the renovations would be finished. Of course I couldn’t be stuck in the one city so I would have to I am torn between the awesome of living in New York or Tokyo. To be honest though, I would be happy living in the jungle (for real and not just in an imaginary world) if I was with family AND I had a great internet connection!
Niki says
New Zealand and Italy. There was a time when I was practically consumed with the dream of moving to New Zealand. I looked at real estate in NZ all the time. Now I just dream of visiting. As much as I love NC if the opportunity to live in NZ ever presented itself, I might go for it.
Cynthia says
House Hunters International on HGTV is one of my favorite shows exactly for that reason — dreaming of just up and leaving and buying a home in an exotic location. sometimes the homes are amazing, sometimes they’re dumpy or cramped. But its always an adventure.
I would buy a penthouse in Rio de Janeiro. You get beach, NYish-like city, and colonial towns up in the hills within the city. And I’d buy a coffee farm somewhere in the mountains in Central America and have a beautiful Spanish colonial home and lots of horses and farm animals.
Girlie, I’ve played this little game before in my head, believe you me 🙂
Marlaahansen says
Love your choices. I would live in Switzerland and Manhattan. I didn’t even have to think about it.