I just returned from a summer vacation in New England where I spent the past week plus one day. My family and I spent an entire week at a lake house in Maine, which we do every summer and it's a lot of fun. However, on our final day of the vacation we spent in the city of Boston. There I realized that concrete jungles are where my heart lays.

1. There's people from all walks of life in big cities

Every race, religion, ethnicity and language is seen and heard. Just walking through a city park, I heard English, Mandarin, Spanish and Arabic, all within maybe ten minutes of each other. Either their descendants or they they themselves came here for an opportunity, and we as people should respect and embrace that.

2. You can hear a lot more than just people taking

In city parks, street corners, trains and more, people beautify the area around them by putting music in the air. Street musicians do what they do not only because they love playing music, but also because they love their city and the people, so if they are doing a good job, make sure to put a dollar or two in their instrument case next to them.

3. You can get places without a car

Growing up in a suburb of a smaller city, getting a car at age sixteen meant having a MINIMUM amount of freedom and mobility. I had always envied people my age in large cities because they had the ability to go out into their towns long before I did. I remember my previous time in Boston when my family did not rent a car, it was rainy, windy and chilly. I enjoy American History very much, but an outdoor walking tour of the Bunker Hill Monument was not going to work for me that chilly day. So I pulled out my transit card, took the subway into downtown and did some window shopping at Quincy Market. Such mobility is only possible in the bustling metropolis.

4. Public Transit helps you bypass traffic on the roads

Yeah, it's annoying when you have to stand up on a busy train, but I'll take it any day of the week and twice on Friday over the alternative. When in Los Angeles, and google maps says it will take an hour and a half to get between Hollywood and Downtown with traffic, going underground, traveling below the gridlock and getting from point A to B in twenty minutes is a small, but significant moment I will never forget.

5. Finding places to eat is easy, quick and fun!

If a city is big enough, there will be ethnic enclaves, such as a Chinatown or Italytown. When people are part of a specific culture, they proudly share it to the public. What better way to do it than with food! The restaurants in the Boston’s North End distinctly reminded me of the restaurants from when I was in Italy two years ago. The food and atmosphere was very good and authentic. Afterwards, swing by a mom and pop shop for a cannoli or gelato. Italian not your thing? You can have a Chinese version of the same experience! The best Chinese food I have ever had was in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Many other cities have even more districts, such as Miami’s Little Havana. And we're I live in Nashville, I can be in Little Kurdistan in less than thirty minutes!

6. There's just more to do in the city

Lake houses in Maine are nice, but after awhile it's easy to get tired of kayaking and dirt roads rocking the car around. In the city, you can go shopping, dining, to museums, concerts, a sports game (except when the Red Sox are playing on the road, which cruelly happens every time I'm in Boston) or if you want to relax, a nice stroll through the park is always a delight. There's something for everybody!

7. The skylines look incredible

Certain cities wouldn't look or be the same without certain skyscrapers. As you approach Chicago, the Sears (Willis) and Hancock towers kindly greet you whether you come in by car or by air. The same goes for New York with the Empire State Building and the New World Trade Center. But when the sun goes down, the lights come on, and cities sparkle so brightly that the stars in space would be impressed. The beauty never fails to dazzle me!

8. Cities are where people from all walks of life, from anywhere in the country, anywhere in the world, meet and share ideas

Because of the draw that many cities have had over the years, people are willing to risk everything by moving and starting new lives. It may be hard at first, but they make it. They learn a new way of life, and meet people from others places in the same situation. Many speak different languages, warship differently, build buildings using different styles, and work as hard as they can to make their lives, and the people’s lives around them, as good as possible. Thousands of local people, many of whom have lived in these cities for generations, meet these cultural ambassadors and learn their customs, food, architecture, fashion and way of life. Diversity makes us stronger, more interesting,