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I was thinking about this today. I lived alone for the past three years in central IN. Flat, not naturally interesting, any sort of semi-quality outdoor recreation was at least an hour away from my residence. Still, it seemed like I was outside doing something every other weekend, if not at least one day every weekend.
I moved back to my hometown in East Tennessee at the end of last summer. Between family and being on call 1/4 weekends, it doesn't seem like I get out and do anything outside as much. I might get out and hike or something once a month now. There is a state park near my house I go and walk at probably one or two evenings a week, but I mostly walk around a paved trail on an island in the park's lake.
It just seems life is dominated by my 8-5 during the week. I'm on call 25% of weekends. That gives me an average of 6 days per month to get outside and do something, before you count bad weather, other obligations, etc. It rained pretty much all day both days last weekend. It just doesn't seem like I can really enjoy the outdoor opportunities this area offers.
How big of a factor is natural setting in determining where you want to live?
That's an interesting question. Also an evolving one. Balancing family, worklife, cultural preferences, cost of living, weather. I think it also changes some with age and health.
Being on call on weekends is definitely a damper. But it ultimately comes down to balancing in a way that makes you happy.
I generally work 6-4 everyday. And being in the San Francisco area means I deal with traffic everyday to & from work. There is a lot of scenery here, so that helps. But I MAKE myself go for a run or bike at least 3-4 days a week after work. I don't want to at times, but afterwards I'm always glad I did.
That's an interesting question. Also an evolving one. Balancing family, worklife, cultural preferences, cost of living, weather. I think it also changes some with age and health.
Great post and agree completely. Moving to a place with all of the outdoors "bells and whistles" doesn't automatically translate to the idyllic outdoor lifestyle. I see it firsthand with many of the transplants who move to Florida with expectations of a vacation lifestyle, only to discover they're outside as much as "back North" or less due to ridiculous heat/humidity from May-October.
I need to be near the ocean, and with water temps warm enough for swimming in the Summer. If I lived somewhere that didn't have that then I'd probably feel incomplete and not very happy with where I lived, at least in the Summer.
To answer your question it depends on the individual and what they want/need.
Natural setting is my top priority, period. It always was high priority, but after living a few years within town limits (one that actually has excellent natural setting for being inside town limits, now any home site MUST BE in a natural setting well out of town and zoned agricultural or similar density.
If this means that budget limits require cutting back in other ways to allow land purchase, so be it. I don't like the average bloated American house anyway.
I took natural beauty and outdoorsiness for granted until I moved to Dallas-Fort Worth. On a scale from 1-10 DFW is probably a 2 when it comes to scenery and outdoor activities. Now that I'm back in Colorado I spend a lot of time hiking when I'm not working.
Spot on, OP. I love the outdoors but life gets in the way. That's why when we planned to move out of Minneapolis, natural environment took a back seat in our priority list. Economy and cost of living were the main factors.
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