Monday, October 27, 2008

Meme: Eight Homes à les McCains

As tagged by Safiya.

Here’s the meme: McCain has 8 homes in the U.S. You have to pick eight places you would like to live. List them. You don’t have to list your reasons, but if you do at least for a few of them, it would be more fun. And remember that the only rule is: the homes must be within the borders of the United States of America or else, within the borders of the country you live in, so as to utterly emulate the McCains. When you’re done, tag 8 people, so that they may join in the self-indulgence, forgetting about the crappy property market and the equivalent of The End of Pompeii on Wall-Street. You could spend your time hammering your doors and windows shut in preparation for the apocalypse instead, but it would be much less fun.

My eight choices are all in the US:

1. Santa Fe, New Mexico. I love my homestate like no other place in the US. My home would have to be a ways outside the city limits, however, because there is only so much touristy-artsy-newage-vortex-authenticity I can handle at one time. Still, the area is breathtaking.

2. Austin, Texas. I really enjoyed living there prior to my move to Moz. I had a sweet little apartment right around the corner from Zilker Park and Barton Springs, I knew all my neighbors and hung out with them regularly, took Nia classes and enjoyed lots of live music with good friends.

3. Bay Area, California. It could be Rockridge, Oakland, San Fran - whatever. With the BART it doesn't matter too much, everything is accessible. Also, I'd be just around the corner from my Mom and Azul, my two beloved girl-cats.

4. New Orleans, Louisiana. I loved it when I visited my high school best friend for Thanksgiving back in 2004. I think I'd love it just as much now, perhaps even more. It has all the elements that seem to attract me to a city: fabulous fusion architecture, unique population, strong regional culture, multi-lingual, tropical, hot and so humid your clothes mold over if left neglected in the closet for more than a week.

5. Idaho or Montana. Or perhaps one of the Dakotas. Random, I know. But I think I'd like the wilderness, the open spaces and the agriculture.

6. San Juan, Puerto Rico. They vote in our election, so that means I can choose a home in the land of the Boricuas for this list.

7. Sea Island, Georgia. I've never visited, but remember my Mom's stories after she went there for work. Seemed like a beautiful place.

8. Kauai, Hawaii. My favorite vacation spot in high school. Hanalei, Waimea Canyon, endless taro fields and a beautiful pink and gray B&B that we were very tempted to buy. If I had a home there, I'd go zodiac rafting and hiking every single weekend.

Now for the tagging. I'm honestly too lazy to link, as my mouse has acted up and I'm unable to highlight text. So, consider yourself one of the selected ones if you are inspired to play along!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

1. Albuquerque, NM
2. Chimayo, NM
3. San Francisco, CA
4. Fort Greene, BKNY
5. Houston, TX
6. Santa Monica, CA
7. Miami, FL
8. San Juan, PR (totally stealing your idea)

Ali Ambrosio said...

~Hallie - Chimayo! Totally would make my runner-up list. I love that area - I have relatives in Truchas. Also, I was very close to putting both Houston and Miami on my list! Hope campaigning is going well in the home stretch!

Jmo said...

ooooh, hi ali and hallie! kevin and i were playing this game last night too. We think it's fun to do a second worldwide round too. But my domestic version is quite close to my twin. :)

1. Albuquerque
2. Chimayo
3. San Francisco
4. Tiburon (North Bay)
5. New York, NY
6. Miami
7. Loiza, PR
8. Vegas, baby, vegas

BUT I would also like to come stay at your house in Hawaii!

Ali Ambrosio said...

~Jenny - (and Kevin!) - I miss you guys so much...wish we were together to celebrate what I hope will be a monumental election, and dream about how we'd use these fab homes. Can't wait until we all are in the same city again!

Anonymous said...

Hello! I just found your blog on www.expatinterviews.com (I'm getting prepared to move from Maine to Uruguay soon, and have been reading many expat blogs lately). Anyway, I'd like to play, so here's my list:

1) Austin
2) Bisbee, AZ
3) Portland, OR
4) Seattle
5) Baltimore
6) New Orleans
7) St. Augustine, FL
8) San Fransisco

Thanks for the game! That was fun!

Unknown said...

Oh my! Chimayo is the heroin capital of NM. Cundiyo would be better - or Taos.

Miami if it's Coconut Grove.

Napa/Sonoma Counties?

Sydney's southern AZ is good - a little bit west to Washington Camp is great.

Maybe Crested Butte in CO

And of course ABQ, SFO and PR

jenica said...

haha. i'm gonna do this meme next on the weekend, i think. love it.

Masood Ahmed said...

Well my country Pakistan may be considered as the most dangerous place to live but as I have lived only in Pakistan so I will choose my eight homes in the country as diverse as US in landscape.

My choices.

1. Hyderabad, Sindh. My city, an easy going lifestyle where people feel relaxed and have time to spend with family and friends. The cool breeze flowing from River Indus makes the evenings and nights most pleasant in Pakistan.

2. Karachi. Vibrant, dymanic where merit merits. If you have ability you can rise there.

3. Nagar Parkar. A small town near the border with India in Southern sindh. Black Karoonjhar Mountains make the back drop,

4. Bahawalpur. A town in the southern Punjab. Peaceful, historical where people speak Seraiki, arguably the most melodious language of Pakistan.

5. Wah. A small town near Islamabad.

6. Skardu. A town in northern Areas of Pakistan where the route to K2 starts. K2 is the second highest mountain of the world.

7. Hunza. Another town in Northern Areas where the average life of people is 100. Peaceful, serense and a place that can be called paradise on earth.

8. Pisni. A coastal town in Balochistan province on Arabian Sea.

Ali Ambrosio said...

~Sydney - Thanks for playing, and best of luck with your move to Uruguay!

~John - Yes, Chimayo may be the heroin capital (I thought that was Española...), but it sure is gorgeous!

~Jenica - Look forward to your answers!

~Masd - Oh, my friend, you've made me want to travel to Pakistan!! I already wanted to see some of these beautiful places thanks to your blog, but these short descriptions are wonderful.

J said...

A bit late, but I've just done it on my blog.

deedee said...

I think I may have stayed in that pink and grey B and B in Hanalei...sweet memories.
This summer, I fell in love with
1. Spearfish Canyon, SD
plus I'd love for my houses :)
2. Coco Beach, FL
3. Kona, HI
4. Boulder, CO
5. Rome
6. Paris
7. Minneapolis, MN
8. Cannes
and believe me, I'd remember where my houses were!