House Hunters International is the best travel show in America

I have to confess that I am obsessed with that show. If you ever wanted to know what it would be like to live in a foreign country, watch this show. The show, hosted by Suzanne Whang on HGTV, travels throughout the world and shows you the house hunt of a particular hetero or homo couple, and the occasional single.

The locations are what keep me coming back – Malaga, St. Johns, Belize, Buenos Aires, Panama, the Greek Coast, Berlin, Edinburgh, Hong Kong, Tel Aviv, Fez etc. The areas are usually charming and are where most people would want to live.

It also doesn't hold back; there are trade-offs, sometimes significant ones. But I think that's what I like most about seeing places like Fez (squat toilets), Tel Aviv (bomb shelters in the apartment) and Hong Kong (so tiny).

It's also a peek into the culture. What is a kitchen? How much privacy can be expected? Where do people put their clothes? What items unite the global Ikea culture?

Finally the people looking for property are fun to watch. Their ages run the gamut – retirees, budding families, empty nesters, and even single people looking for their first place. But being the human behavior geek, it's the dynamic between the couples that I find fascinating. How much of partnership is it?

Great show.