i live in nyc right now and genuinely love a lot about it. i walk everywhere, i love the art scene, the energy, tattoo culture, just how alive everything feels. i work in design, so career wise the city has been really good to me, which honestly feels like a reason in itself to stay. that said, i’d be open to revaluating my career slightly and shifting things a bit if it meant living somewhere i feel more fulfilled outside of work.
i feel like i’m missing something pretty big, which is nature and people who are actually outdoorsy. i’m part of a community garden and spend at least one full day of my weekends there (if it is warm enough), which i do love, but it still doesn’t feel like enough. i don’t want nature to be something i only get when i take a trip or use PTO. it has also been an extremely cold winter, which has been very hard for me. i am constantly missing nature and some semblance of warmth.
for context, i lived in chicago for a year and didn’t like it. it felt super isolating out there and the nature was even worse than nyc. if i’m going to be in a big city, i’d pick nyc every time. i’m originally from the dc area and went to school in richmond, and i miss richmond a lot. i’d move back there pretty fast if it felt like there were more job opportunities.
i’ve also always been drawn to california, especially LA, but the car dependence and being that far away makes me hesitate. at the same time the access to nature out there is really appealing. i love to walk, its once of my favorite aspects of the new york, but maybe i wouldn't mind not walking as much if i was able to venture out into interesting nature and explore.
i feel kind of stuck between staying in nyc and trying to make it work vs moving somewhere that has more built in nature but losing the things i love about city life. i love new york so much but it feels like i am always yearning for a place with more nature.
is there anywhere in the US that actually has what i am looking for? or will the grass always be greener?
if anyone in nyc has felt like this and figured it out, how did you do it? are there good ways to meet people who are actually outdoorsy here (camping, etc)? i would love to figure out a way to make it work here.
i really appreciate your help and knowledge!