Staff Corner: Cara Simon
Current location: New York, USA
Chris's question to Cara:
If you had to live in another country, which one would it be and why?
This is such a hard question. Every time, or nearly every time, I visit somewhere I always say “I could live here” and then get teased by my partner relentlessly… Apparently I want to live everywhere, which makes it very hard to choose one location.
We all know that traveling somewhere is different than living there. So if I had to choose another country purely on location, landscape “awe” including the people, the outdoors, weather, and don’t forget the food while ignoring the politics, the healthcare, the taxes etc., here’s where I’d live.
I have the following three locations in mind – I can never decide on just one of anything.
Nelson, New Zealand
Kia Ora! I have been to New Zealand twice now and it’s just magic. What a country!! I adore everything about it – the outdoors, the beaches, the food (yes, the food), the culture, the history and the people. I visited some friends a few years back in Nelson on the South Island, and just fell in love. It has everything from amazing seafood, to scenery with rolling hills overlooking the water, gorgeous beaches, the art, the unique food options and wine culture. It also has its own little airport – bonus! It’s the perfect place between both islands and offers such a variety of activities within a few hours of each other, it’s hard to not want to live there. I’d pretty much be happy anywhere in New Zealand.
Sorrento, Italy
I attended a conference there and absolutely fell in love with this quaint seaside town. Sorrento has something very special about it – I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I adored it as soon as I hopped off the train. I think it’s the perfect mix of real-life living and tourism cohabiting. I love the cobblestone streets, I found the locals to be quite lovely and friendly, and the food – oh the FOOD – the seafood is some of the best I’ve ever had. And don’t forget, it’s the home to all things lemon… including limoncello. You can see for miles when you look out to the coast, and it’s nearness to the Isle of Capri and the Almafi coast makes it a great location to explore archaeological sites and daydream for hours. Plus the weather is pretty stellar all year round. Can’t beat that!
Southeast Asia – country unknown
I know saying Southeast Asia is kind of comical, as it’s such a massive region, but I really, really love this part of the world. While I can’t come up with a specific country yet, everywhere I’ve gone in Southeast Asia, I really, really feel at home in, and I fall in love with each country I visit. I could see myself living in either Thailand, Vietnam or even Indonesia to-date. A large part of this rationale is because of the people; in all the countries I’ve visited, the local people were just so welcoming, lovely and kind. I love all the temples and shrines. The temples are just so very different from where I grew up in suburbia. I also have a deep love for rice and noodles, which makes eating pretty exciting every time. Plus, the diving is amazing in this region, some of the best I’ve experienced. The jury is still out as to where to live, but this region is for sure in my top three!
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