How to Determine Where You Are Supposed to Live

A foolproof formula.

As I’ve written about many times, my favorite vacation game is "Should I live here?" I’ve played this game in Mexico City (where I did live), Rome, Paris, London, the British Virgin Islands, Cape Town—the list goes on.

I’m currently on Spring Break with my family in Tucson, of course, playing this game again. Ultimately, I’ve found there is a foolproof method for determining if a city is right for you: you let your hair air-dry in said place and see how it reacts to the local climate. Based on the results, you can determine if a place is a fit.

Here, you can see that humid locations are a no go, e.g., Tel Aviv.

And Bonaire. (This was post-braids, which was a choice, although I was 12, but another clear no.)

New York—unfortunately, always a no. (My bob is always off there, which is why I was wearing a hat. And if you say you can’t see it’s off, then you don’t understand the precision of a bob.)

Below is the reason I lived in Mexico City for so long and why Los Angeles is always on the table. My hair thrives in a valley.

But ultimately, my hair has determined I should live in Tucson, Arizona. It loves a dry climate.

Now, it’s up to you whether you listen to your hair or not. Unfortunately, in terms of Tucson, I will not be.