I left Oregon for Philadelphia's walkable city life. But I missed my car and was eager to move back home.

When I moved across the country for a job after spending my entire life in outdoorsy West Coast cities, I didn't expect the homesickness that would follow.

My social circle included surfers, skaters, snowboarders, and mountain bikers, and taking an after-class hike with friends was the norm. Having grown up in San Diego, I'd been used to an outdoor-focused lifestyle for as long as I could remember.

But after graduating, I accepted a job in Philadelphia and moved in the fall of 2025, drawn to its walkability, big-city energy, and the chance for a change of pace and scenery.

I ultimately moved back to Oregon less than a year later because it was a better match for my lifestyle.

After treading through the rain in Oregon for four years, I thought that adjusting to the Philadelphia winter would be a breeze.

But I found the city’s combination of wind, snow, rain, and humidity hard to adjust to.

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The swings in Philadelphia's weather — from snowstorms to thunderstorms — made it difficult to plan my week and even harder to imagine enduring it for years.

Philadelphia is a city known for its walkability. It was a huge selling point for me as I decided where I wanted to move to after college. I was tired of driving and wanted to experience the charm of getting lost walking through the big city.

In Philadelphia, I lived in Old City, within walking distance of work and much of downtown.

When temperatures dropped below freezing, walking around became something I dreaded: I had to pull on four to five layers of clothing just to stay relatively warm, and constantly being surrounded by people on the street became exhausting.

I am an avid runner — I run at least four times a week and have enjoyed scenic trails by beaches and rivers my whole life.