Promiscuous Girl: My Back-to-Back Upcoming Dates

Time to stop fawning over certain cities - and actually go on some real dates!

I am positively giddy to announce that I will be visiting my top geographical crush - Santa Fe, New Mexico - in just a week and a half. This will mark our second date, the first being more than a decade ago when I was young and naive and had no idea what I wanted in a place to live. Now, we will meet as consenting adults.

Will there still be an attraction? TBD. In the interest of full disclosure, I will also be flirting with Albuquerque and smaller enclaves in the Northern New Mexico area. My yearning for wide open spaces needs to be put through a reality check.

Immediately after, I will be heading to Austin, Texas, for a first date. Comparison shopping at its finest. Both cities are known for being progressive, artsy and eccentric, as you can tell from the slogans ("Keep Austin Weird" and "The City Different", respectively.) Both cities are a cheap, non-stop flight from LA. And of course, because they are located in neighboring states that border Mexico, there are some cultural and regional similarities. Let's just say my new cowgirl boots go with either place.

But one major difference is that Austin is more than 10 times larger than Santa Fe - 1.5 million people versus 75,000. I'm hoping the contrast will (pardon the pun) help me nail down my size requirements.

Yes, it may seem a little loose to go straight from one date to another. But life is busy. I can only take one week off work, and that means it's time for a little speed dating.

Will lightning strike in either place? Stay tuned!