Throughout my years of travelling, I have fallen in love with many countries and the aspects that make them unique to me. My list of favorite places usually share the same characteristics: abundance of good food, friendly people and good climate. But when it comes to the question of if I could really live there, it is a whole new set of criteria based around emotional appeal rather than physical. To me, I have three places in mind I would love to call home:

Spain

As can be seen from my previous blog, “Spanish sentiments,” the smallest moments I spent touring in Spain meant everything to me. Even though I was last there a little more than five years ago, the memories and emotions are still fresh in my heart, despite lacking in Spanish skills, which often came in the way of my fantasy of calling it home. If I were to live in Spain, I think I’d most likely live in Barcelona, in an apartment near the city center. I think what I really loved about Barcelona was the fact that it’s so colorful and lively. There are so many new places to go to or activities to take part in that I think I would never get bored of living there. When I first visited Barcelona, it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with the various architecture designs and the liveliness that filled the air. I know this is the place for me because whenever I look back at the time I enjoyed there, my yearning to go back intensifies.

California

I think California is definitely a second home to me. Ever since I was three months old, my family would go visit every year as a sort of tradition. The food, theme parks and beaches are great, but what makes it more special to me is that every time we go visit, it reminds me of how much I have changed since the last time I visited. Since our first trip, it was a must to eat at a family-owned Chinese restaurant, and coming back each year to see how the family has grown bigger and stronger just makes it seem like we, in a way, were family. What I also really love about California is that now my family just goes there to shop and eat how we’d do in Dallas, instead of looking for new places to see like tourists.

Saudi Arabia

Different from the other places on my list, I also chose Saudi Arabia for other reasons.  Over the summer, while I was in elementary school, I would head out to Saudi Arabia and meet up with my extended family. And since our trips lasted around a month each time we went to visit, it is already like home to me. But I think what makes it most special is the adventures I had with my aunt each time I visited. Together, we would go on secret shopping trips and make up excuses like “our car broke down,” if we got home later than expected. Every morning I would try to be the first to wake up and get ready so that I could accompany my aunt to the college she teaches and later eat out at Al Baik, the Chick-Fil-A of Saudi Arabia, where I’d always ask for extra orders of its delicious garlic sauce. And every time we were in Saudi Arabia, it was a must to visit the holy cities of Mecca and Madinah, the highlight of my trip. I remembered how much excitement I had while passing out dates, drinking zam zam (holy water) and praying with my family. My childhood spent in Saudi Arabia was wonderful and I would love to go back and live through those memories again.