Love where you live

When I travel to another city (in the US, or outside the states) I imagine what my life would be like in that city. I think of how amazing it would be to wander the Louvre on a Saturday, or take run by the ocean before work.

I had drinks with a guy who truly loved where he lived (the city that is) I mean truly, deeply, loved everything about the city and its culture. Of course this made me want to sell Dallas, so I thought of every positive I could possibly think of to share about the Big D. Turns out excitement can be contagious and I realized I liked the city I lived in. (But again, not as much as this guy liked his hometown)

It is important that you love the city you live in. You do, after all, spend way more time in that city than you do on vacation. Have you ever stopped to think that some people actually go on vacation to see your home town? What draws them there? I have no research to back this up, but I think you are happier overall if you love where you live.

How do you do love where you live?
1. Play tourist for a day- go to all the sites that you think an outsider would go to if they were visiting. (Frommer's is actually free online - try to knock off every "To Do" on the list)
2. Always root for the home team - (unless they are playing the spurs) I can't help but think there isn't some sort of bonding a city goes through when the home team wins. They honk at eachother, drink with eachother, and are generally united in city pride.
3. Appreciate the view. Whether its a skyline, a beach, a forest, a quaint neighborhood... every city has something. (guilty. I live by the skyline and forget to really appreciate it unless I am showing it off)
4. Enjoy a dinner out. We forget that we might live in a city fabulous restaurants (because we are cheap) and then go on vacation, splurge, and think other places have WAY better food. Guess what? A night out where you live to experience a good meal is cheaper than a whole vacation. On vacation we try to "eat like the locals"... in your own town, don't you think you should BE that local?

I challenge you to try one (or all) of my random ideas to work on loving where you live. You just never know when you may have to move. Any other ideas? Open to suggestions, ideas, or any research to back up my hypothesis!