Differences between city and mountain life

Growing up in Ohio, it was always my goal to someday live in a BIG city. I never thought that after just four years in Chicago, I'd have moved to a mountain town of just 24,000.

Yet that is exactly where I am today! After taking the job as the online marketing manager at Heavenly ski resort, my husband and I have swapped our downtown Chicago lifestyle for a mountain existence.

After two months of living in Lake Tahoe, I've noticed some big differences between this lifestyle and the one I had in Chicago that I'll share with you here.

 Keep in mind my happiness with my new life will likely sway the list, but I've tried to remain neutral and give both scenarios their due.

• People smile more in the mountains.
  I'm not sure if it's the fresh air, scenic beauty or slower pace of life, but people in Lake Tahoe seem to be much happier than the folks I brusquely passed on the crowded streets in Chicago.

• Appearance matters more in the city.
  My regular mani/pedi, designer-bag toting, shopaholic city routine has died since moving to the mountains. The look tends to be more natural and dare I say "rugged" here.

• Passion for interests/hobbies is stronger in the mountains.
  Sure my friends in the city had a TON of passion for the Bears and Cubs, but beyond cheering for their teams, there weren't many hobbies they spent a lot of time on.  It seems like everyone in the mountains has some activity they're passionate about, whether that's fly-fishing, road biking or back-country skiing, etc.

• The city offers more culture.
  There is a definite part of me that misses the plethora of restaurants, museums and shows that city-life offered. There's only one Indian restaurant in Tahoe I can find and when I tried to order take-out, they wouldn't even answer the phone. Sigh.

• The lifestyle is WAY more active in the mountains.
  This is really the main reason we moved. Instead of being holed up inside on a cold, snowy day, we're now able to ski, snowshoe, snowmobile, hike and just enjoy being outside year-round.

• It's easier to find a group of friends in the city.
  I think the sheer volume of people living in a city makes it a little easier to find a group of friends you really connect with. It's not that I haven't met a lot of great people here in Tahoe so far, but the circle is much smaller and harder to break into. I think this same argument can be made for dating in the mountains vs. the city (luckily I don't have to worry about that!)

• Your money goes a lot further in the mountains.
  Sure, we're still living in a vacation destination, but my spending has gone WAY down since moving out of the city. Our rent is $400 less than what we paid to live in downtown Chicago for a place that's 1,500 sq. ft larger and 95% nicer.

That's all I've got for now. I'd be interested to hear what you think. Anything on my list off-base? What would you add?

Liz Batman