If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

If I could live anywhere in the world…

New Zealand. Without hesitation. The place looks like someone took every fantasy novel I’ve ever loved, blended them together, and said, “Here, Monica, try raising your magical children here—the scenery will distract you from your own unraveling.”

The hills look like the Shire. The mountains scream “Mordor, but make it aesthetic.” Every picture I see makes me want to grab a cloak, hold up a stick, and yell, “You shall not pass… until bedtime!” at my kids. It feels right.

I know I’m supposed to say something noble like, “I want to live there because of the culture or the peace or the slower pace of life,” but no. I want to live there because it would let me pretend my daily chaos is a deleted scene from a fantasy show.

Picture it: me trying to drink a cup of coffee while the kids reenact an accidental mashup of Harry Potter, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and The Witcher in the backyard. My husband would be inside charming the Wi-Fi router back to life—again—like he’s Gandalf the Grey but with an IT certification. And Clark would be sprawled on a sun-warmed rock, narrating my parenting choices like he’s doing the voiceover for some gritty fantasy reboot of The Aristocats.

In my New Zealand fantasy, I’d write my future TV show in a tiny Hobbit-like study with a round door and bookshelves built into every wall. I’d sit there, pretending I’m in a cozy montage from Gilmore Girls, tapping away at my keyboard… while ignoring the fact that my children are probably turning a pasture into a live-action Magic: The Gathering card.

The only downside? I’m 97% sure we’d make it into some poor tourist’s vacation photos.

“And if you look to your right, you’ll see a perfectly normal New Zealand family—wait, never mind, the toddler just summoned a small tornado.”

Honestly, though, that’s the dream. A magical place for my magical chaos. A land where my kids could run wild without accidentally blasting holes in the drywall. A place where my husband could finally say “I’m not the weirdest wizard in town,” and mean it.

And where I could breathe, write, and live my very best “mom in a fantasy world who deserves more screen time” life.

New Zealand. Final answer.