I've traveled to all 50 states, but there's only one I'd choose to live in every time

19.07.2024 - 13:03 / insider.com

As a kid growing up in rural Illinois, I dreamed of moving out of the cornfields that I knew and into a big city or far-flung locale. I moved out of state right after grad school, first to Louisiana — which I loved — but with a pull to the West that I couldn't ignore.

Ten years ago, I packed up my life and moved to Colorado — first Denver, then Boulder — without knowing anyone.

Since then, I've traveled to all 50 states solo, and although I've found beauty in all corners of the United States, I haven't felt a desire to move anywhere else.

Of course, I'm not the only one — Colorado has grown significantly in population over the past two decades. Here are six reasons I still love the state and choose to stay.

Colorado is famously known for the Rocky Mountains that snake their way through the state from its southern to northern border, providing a dramatic landscape from nearly any vantage point in the state.

Although the Rockies were a huge part of the draw for my move, what's become even more impressive is the diversity of landscapes the state includes.

I love visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park, which is home to the tallest sand dunes in North America , and Colorado National Monument, which has a Utah-like red-rock canyon landscape.

The diversity of landscapes can make a weekend getaway within Colorado feel like traveling to another state entirely.

Colorado provides easy travel to many other locations within the country. Denver is home to a major airport that makes air travel to either US coast simple, but even as a road-trip starting point, it's easy to get to several less-populated areas of the West from the state.

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I can travel to many parts of Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, New Mexico, Arizona, and Montana within a day's drive while still being able to live in a more-populated area.

Although quality of life measures can be subjective, I've been happiest living in Colorado.

From the ample opportunities for outdoor recreation — hiking, skiing, rafting, fly fishing, and biking are all possible within the same day — to the average 300 days of sunshine a year, the state leads the way in health and wellness.

Repeatedly ranked among the healthiest states with the most active populations , Colorado is a great place to continue your health journey among like-minded people or pick up new healthy habits.

Colorado is home to the legendary Rocky Mountain National Park and three other major US national parks .

Great Sand Dunes is home to the tallest sand dunes in North America , Black Canyon of the Gunnison has some of North America's steepest cliffs , and Mesa Verde preserves the cliff dwellings and rich history of the Ancestral Puebloan people.

With only 63 current parks bearing the