1.09.2012

oakland, my oakland

I'm so proud. My beloved Oakland made it on the New York Times' 45 Places to Go in 2012. It ranked in at #5, right after London. So, seriously, if you haven't been to Oakland recently, come visit.

One of the topics of conversation on this last vacation was where do we go next? A short list: Cuba, Sweden and Norway, Berlin, Shanghai, Brazil, Maine, Uganda...

One location on the New York Times list I wouldn't include on my own is #20: SPACE. The idea of floating out into space is comparable to being adrift on the ocean in a lifeboat atop 20 million miles of deep dark water. No, thanks. Given the chance, would you go to space?

[illustration: john mattos]

7 comments:

Heather G. Jones said...

oh yes! in fact i sometimes dream that i'm in the middle of the street or in the middle of a park at night and the planets are so big i can practically reach out and touch them. I think it would be breathtaking but i also fear i would be terribly sick to my stomach from the weightlessness!

Celia said...

i know! this is such exciting news!! i'm planning on writing a post about it, but i need to take some pictures first.

Aralena said...

I would love to go to outer space, but not with a group of tourists, and only if I could be immersed in the incredible weather activity on planets like Jupiter or Venus, or glide above the rings of Saturn... so probably only if I was terminally ill.

Shayna said...

i was so excited when i saw that story...

Celia- just another reason NOT to move to Berkeley. That, and while we were at the park in Berkeley, we saw a woman doing yoga on a bench while her kid played in the trash can. I kid you not.

Hannah said...

Heather, I think it would be breathtaking too. But in an "I'm about have a heart panic attack" kind of way... But also breathtakingly beautiful and vastly infinite.

Celia and Shayna. Yes! A reason NOT to move to Berkeley. The food, and everything, is better here. I was with the park with Shayna that day. The woman was doing full downward dog on the park bench while her son dug around in the trash. Then they did some stretches together. So Berkeley.

Aralena. Ok. So please don't go to space... I like you too much here on Earth and NOT terminally ill.

Ana de Kreutz said...

I say your next trip should be to Berlin, with a diversion to Frankfurt. Or Mexico City, let's say in March/April??

Hannah said...

If our next trip is to Berlin, OF COURSE we would make a diversion to Frankfurt to visit you three. Not sure if we can swing Mexico City in March/April, but maybe. It would be great to see you and meet M!!