Even though I’ve been to all but two continents, I’m always on the lookout for new places to capture that insatiable feeling of wanderlust. Those places you hear about, instantly research, and dream about for weeks ’til you can’t take it anymore and book a flight. Unfortunately, sometimes these spots are fictional, leaving me yearning for vacation that can never be. Where might these fictional hot spots be? I’m glad you asked.

Forks, Washington

Anybody can drive on into this chilly Washington town, but the Forks I yearn for is more, more, more enchantingly mossy forests and magical locals. Although the town is a mecca for wildlife lovers and NorPac dwellers, without the dazzling senses of the ‘Twilight’ franchise, it just isn’t the same. More information: Forks Chamber of Commerce

The Island from Lost

We have to go back. Shirtless Sawyer, sandy beaches, and the Dharma Initiative book club promise a better quality of life than the one we’re living in ole’ NYC and we hear the real estate is mega cheap… you know, if you know how to chop and build and all that stuff. And don’t try to sell me on Hawaii. It just isn’t the same without wandering polar bears. More information: Lost Island Map at Blogspot, Virtual Tour of The Island, Hawaiian Tour of Lost Locations

Stars Hollow, Connecticut

I spent a good chunk of my childhood in a bucolic New England town, but little Stars Hollow from ‘The Gilmore Girls’ TV show is no more real than the girls themselves. It’s a pity, too, because I would love to visit Kirk at his twenty jobs, run a muck in Taylor Dose’s supermarket, and linger just a little too long at Luke’s coffee shop. Instead, there are plenty of other idyllic Litchfield County, Connecticut nabes that offer the same small town draw; the set the show was filmed on, in Canada, is no longer with us. More information: Stars Hollow Virtual Tour, New Fairfield, Connecticut, Sherman, Connecticut

Amelie’s Paris

Having been to Paris nearly one too many times, one would think I’m done with the city. I’ve traveled by foot, by train, by taxi. I’ve been rained on, snowed on, and have even seen the sun rise and set behind the Eiffel Tower. However, I’ve never been quite as enchanted with the city as when I catch it through the eyes of everyone’s favorite little French girl. From the shops of Montmartre to a bashful trip past Moulin Rouge, Amelie’s Paris is a dazzling fairytale location where love at first sight is possible, dreams come true, and everyone has a story worth listening to. More information: Amelie’s Footsteps Through Paris, Amelie’s Montmartre

Eternal Sunshine’s Montauk

Maybe it’s the fact that my formative years were spent dodging college classes in Long Island. Maybe it’s the unconventional love story I grew up appreciating. Could just be the fantastic cinematography, but, whatever it is, I officially want to live in Montauk thanks to the flick ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.’  While the most provocative scenes of the flick take place in the winter wonderland setting of Long Island’s “end” town, I’ll take it during winter or summer, provided it comes with the sort of meant-to-be/til-death-do-us-part partnership the flick represents. A girl can dream, right? More information: Montauk is for Lovers, Montauk Spotlight, Eternal Sunshine Photographs of Montauk