Last year Elmine and I lived and worked for a month in Copenhagen (see week 1 2 3 4). To experience a new environment, work with other people, and see what inspiration it could bring us. We’re thinking about repeating the experiment.

But where would we go? Maybe you have suggestions? It could be a city you would love to spend a month, or it could be somewhere you think we really need to visit for a longer period. Let us know, and let us know why.

Based on our experience last year in Copenhagen we have a few rough criteria:

• a stay would be more like a sabbatical than actually trying to do business (a month is great to explore and connect, and do a workshop or 2, but no real time for sustained work with clients unless those assignments are already lined up before leaving)
• a place would need to have a local scene roughly connected to our professional interests,(story telling, creative writing/filming, complexity, open data / open gov, making, tech development) or offer other things that help expose us to new ideas and insights (courses, musea, literary events, festivals, lively neighborhoods). It could be outside of a major city, but within reach of one.
• although not meant as a full retreat, being able to do focussed work (like writing) or withdraw from the general pace of things is valuable.
• an agreeable climate is preferred. October in Copenhagen was generally cold, wet and windy. Not much different from home, but exploring a city means being outside a lot and that is better enjoyed without freezing winds and sleeting rain. It also rules out doing e.g. Madrid in the midst of summer.
• Time wise we have thought of July or August, as it’s a quiet time for client work anyway, which would support a more sabbatical style. It would also increase the number of places with a relatively favorable climate in Europe.

Several cities crossed our mind already, but none of them seem the ‘obvious’ answer or an obvious ‘no’. Berlin (great scene, been there before), Oxford (close to London with scene, Oxford summer school offerings), Dublin, Ljubljana, Barcelona (too hot in summer?), Prague, Milano, Firenze, a Toscany retreat. It could be outside of Europe, but that means leaving business out of it completely, as our market is Europe.

So we’re wondering:

Where would you go for a month? Why?

Where would you want us to go for a month? Why?

Copenhagen, Oxford, Madrid, Trieste