When I started traveling, I figured I’d want to see most of the world before I started retracing my steps. After all, why go back to the same old city when there’s so much more to see?

Since then, I’ve changed my tune. I’ve just arrived back in New Orleans for the third time in the past six months, and I’m already planning my next visit. (Though with Hurricane Gustav threatening to cut this trip short, I might pick a different season next time…) I’ve been back to New York City three times, too, and have made repeat visits to several spots in the UK.

In New Orleans, it’s the food, the people, and the architecture that hook me in. In Britain, it’s the history, the landscapes, the beer, and – wait for it – the weather. (Pleasant or not, nothing suits exploring a medieval castle on a moor better than gloomy, damp grey skies.) With New York, it’s harder to explain: I like the pace of the city, the feeling that things are really happening there. And with all three, there’s something inexplicable, too, beyond those concrete reasons.

There are plenty of other places I’ve visited that might be more exotic, more beautiful, and more interesting in the moment – but sometimes, with a few spots, there’s something intangible that just draws me back.

Which places keep you coming back again and again? And, if you can put your finger on it, why?