Quote of the Day...and Its Takeaway

THE QUOTE
"Travel is fatal to bigotry, prejudices and narrow-mindedness."
- Mark Twain

THE TAKEAWAY
I can't just live in any small town. After everything I've learned living in the South (Virginia), the North (NYC)and the West (LA), as well as South and Central America (Argentina and Nicaragua), I know I can't live in an environment that is intolerant of people who are different, whether because of ethnicity, sexuality, religion or otherwise.

So for me, the right small town has to be one that satisfies the following equation: small-town friendliness + (a bit of ) big-city open mindedness = home.

My recent dates with Eureka Springs, AR, and Los Alamos, CA, suggest such a thing does exist. I see now that I am looking for a small town that enjoys some diversity of people and thought, as well as an infusion of well-traveled transplants and sojourners. Santa Fe comes to mind as a leading candidate in this vein. (I am working on scheduling our second date!)

Stay tuned as I use this filter to narrow down my geographical crushes. We'll see who makes the cut!