So we've seen the best small towns ... what about the big cities?

Here's Money Magazine's list of the top 10 of those:

1 Colorado Springs, CO 369,800
2 Austin, TX 690,300
3 Mesa, AZ 442,800
4 Raleigh, NC 341,500
5 San Diego, CA 1,255,500
6 Virginia Beach, VA 438,400
7 Omaha, NE 414,500
8 Columbus, OH 730,700
9 Wichita, KS 354,900
10 New York, NY 8,143,200

Well, my daughter lives in Raleigh, and I do like North Carolina. (My son is in Los Angeles, and that's just not in the realm of the possible for me, no matter how much I love that big guy. No way.)

And I wouldn't have thought of Virginia Beach and NYC in the same breath, but I guess it works.

Since I'm loping down this imaginary road, I may as well see what the experts might have to say ...

Of course, there's a web site designed just for finding the perfect American town for me. (Or you, or anyone who takes the time to click on the link.)

A click, clickity, click, click, and viola! My future home ... if everything falls apart in Seychelles and we decide to sell up and move on and don't end up in Cambodia or Madagascar or Mozambique and for some reason end up moving to the US, which is all fairly unlikely, but whatever ...

Ta da!

Natchitoches, Louisiana!

Natchowhatsits, Wheresiana?

All I-can't-help-myself-I'm-from-California kidding aside, it sounds really nice, and ... well ... perfect for me:

Melting pot of cultures
Historic structures
Haven for artists
Local university
Even a Creole Heritage Festival!

With only 18,000 people, I wouldn't feel bunched up, and the weather ... hot and sticky in the summer time, not too cold in winter ... sounds fine.

It's close enough to my daughter and her family, but not too close.

Hmmmmm.

I wonder if they have a CamFam group anywhere near by ...