What cities do you want to visit?
Some people collect souvenirs. I collect cities in my imagination.
They live in the corners of my thoughts when I am doing ordinary things like folding laundry or waiting at a red light. Cities become promises I whisper to myself. One day. Not out of escape, but out of curiosity. I have learned that longing is not restlessness when it is rooted in wonder. As Proverbs 16:9 reminds me, we can make our plans, but it is the Lord who directs our steps. That means desire is not reckless. It is often the first breadcrumb.
These are the cities I want to visit. Not as checkmarks, but as conversations waiting to happen.
Old Stones, Living Stories
Athens has always felt like the birthplace of questions. Philosophy, reason, myth, and meaning tangled together. It feels like a place where thinking deeply is not optional, it is cultural. Istanbul calls me for a similar reason. A city suspended between continents feels like a sermon in geography. East and West holding hands without apologizing for their differences.
Cairo and Casablanca stir something older in me. History that predates my categories. Faith, art, and endurance etched into stone and sand. Augustine once said, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” I believe some pages are heavier, inked with centuries of prayer and struggle, and they deserve slow reading.
Color, Rhythm, and the Art of Living
Madrid and Seville feel like movement. Late dinners. Music spilling into streets. Life not rushed, but lived loudly. Amsterdam and Berlin feel like contrast cities. Beauty mixed with rebellion. Canals beside courage. Art that refuses to stay polite.
Then there is France calling me again. Nice and Antibes feel like light and salt and long walks by the sea. Alsace-Lourin feels quieter, almost like a held breath between cultures, French and German intertwined. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says God has set eternity in the human heart, and I feel that when I think of places layered with history. They remind me I am part of something longer than my own timeline.
Scotland surprises people on my list, but Glasgow and Edinburgh feel like soul cities. Poetic. Weathered. Honest. There is something about landscapes shaped by wind and time that makes me trust them. Susan Sontag once wrote, “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list,” and that line feels less like wanderlust and more like reverence. Sometimes the answer is simply to go and see.
Soul Insights
1. Longing is information.
The cities that call to me reveal what my soul values. Depth, history, beauty, and layered identity. I am not drawn to spectacle as much as story. Paying attention to desire helps me understand myself more clearly.
2. Travel is spiritual formation.
Every place stretches humility. Language barriers, unfamiliar customs, and new rhythms soften the ego. Psalm 119:105 reminds me that God’s word is a lamp, not a floodlight. Travel teaches me to walk step by step.
3. I am drawn to cities that hold tension well.
Border cities, historic cities, rebuilt cities. Places that have survived and adapted. That mirrors my own life more than polished perfection ever could. I trust places that have been broken and rebuilt.
4. Beauty does not need to shout.
Antibes, Alsace-Lourin, Edinburgh. These places feel like slow beauty. They remind me that depth often whispers. In a loud world, restraint feels like wisdom.
5. Wanting to go is not ingratitude.
Desiring more does not mean I despise where I am. It means my heart is still alive. Romans 8:28 anchors me here. God works through both the staying and the going.
Final Thoughts
I no longer rush God with my plans. I hold these cities loosely, like prayers written in pencil. If I go, I will go fully present. If I wait, I will wait with expectation. Either way, the longing itself has already done some good work in me.
If you were honest, what cities are calling your name? Not the trendy ones. The ones that feel personal. Write them down. Pray over them. Let them teach you something about who you are becoming.
By the way…
While you’re here, I’d love for you to explore my book 17 Syllables of Me and visit my website, SoulPath Insights.
Thank you for taking the time to read! 🤗
© 2025 Amelie Chambord
Soul Path Insights 
Leave a comment