Jennifer Nied
- I lived in New York for over a decade and built my dream career, but life felt too busy to enjoy.After my daughter was born, my family moved back to my Colorado hometown, and I'm so happy we did.Nearly two years into our move, we spend almost every weekend camping, running, or snowboarding.
As a young girl in Colorado, I always dreamed of living and working in New York City — and I turned that dream into my life.
For over a decade, I built the career of my dreams and ended up working as a magazine editor with amazing coworkers. Still, life in the Big Apple felt too busy and expensive to actually enjoy, especially once I became a mom.
My daughter's arrival gave me the opportunity to reevaluate our daily routine. I realized I needed more mountains and nature, and fewer skyscrapers, crowded subways, and glitzy events. I craved climbing mountains instead of corporate ladders.
As soon as my husband and I realized we were on the same page, we didn't waste time: We broke our lease in New York and booked one-way flights to Colorado.
Moving without an exact plan was scary but also invigorating
Jennifer Nied
Initially, we stored most of our belongings and lived in various Airbnbs to scout neighborhoods before settling into a walkable area close to where I grew up in Denver.
Luckily, since we were near my hometown, we didn't have to start from scratch.
I'd stayed in touch with childhood friends and jumped right back in, rekindling our relationships now that we're all parents and many of us neighbors. Now, our kids are friends, too.
Jennifer Nied
Once we started finding new routines — like heading to the local library or playground, trying new restaurants, and figuring out how we'd run errands and shop for groceries in a new place — the relocation started to feel like we'd come home.
I realized these kinds of daily to-dos could be manageable, and life didn't have to be as challenging and intense as it was in New York City.
The biggest benefit is the number of affordable outdoor activities at our doorstep
Jennifer Nied
I knew our move would come with an influx of outdoorsy activities, but our reality has been even better.
Our new home has easy access to mountains and a bikeable commute to work for my husband. Our apartment complex even has a resort-style outdoor pool.
Plus, now that we're both working jobs with more flexible schedules, we can really take advantage of all the nature Colorado has to offer.
For example, we'll take off on a Thursday night for a camping trip to get ahead of crowds or work remotely from a ski resort in winter when a big storm rolls in.
I love that within just an hour's drive, we can find ourselves in a whole different world — camping surrounded by aspen trees and wildflowers, hiking above the trees on towering peaks, or dropping into our favorite ski runs on powder days. We've done all these things together as a family, and we plan local trips almost every weekend.
These days, my toddler claps and cheers when we tell her we're going camping, hiking, or snowboarding the next day. I'm so grateful to be able to offer her a nature-filled childhood.
Our move gave me new opportunities and connected me with past interests
Jennifer Nied
I worried I would lose my professional contacts and my career would suffer when I left New York City. I was very wrong. Not only have I kept in touch with my former colleagues, but I've found new professional opportunities — and new things to write about.
Shortly after moving, I received a bib to run a marathon overseas. That, along with my move, inspired me to get back into running.
In a few months, I'd even trained back into marathon shape at high altitude. All those long runs were the perfect way to enjoy nature and learn about my new neighborhood.
When I do chat with New York friends, they always ask if I miss the city. No hesitation, my answer is no. We're living a different dream now. I miss the people I cared about, but truly nothing else.
As soon as I miss it, I know can always book a flight and visit.
