Growing up in a small Midwestern town, I always dreamed of moving to a place like New York or Chicago after graduating college.

I wanted to be at the center of everything that made these places so attractive, from the endless entertainment options to the seemingly abundant career opportunities.

However, after studying abroad in Santiago, Chile, during college, cities like New York no longer appealed to me. I chose to study in the capital of Chile to learn Spanish and explore South America. I had no idea it would change the entire trajectory of my life.

I loved certain aspects of living there, like the weather and easy access to the outdoors. The size of the city, however, was too big for my taste.

In the end, the five months I spent there changed my idea of ​​an ideal place to live. I looked for mountains over skyscrapers, sun over clouds and small cities over metropolises. A year after returning from Chile, I settled in Reno, Nevada, where I have been ever since.

It never crossed my mind to move to Nevada before going to Chile, but living there gave me completely new perspectives.

Proximity to nature became important to me.

I have been to more than 40 countries, but Chile is, without a doubt, among the most beautiful.

I traveled up and down the narrow country during my stay there. In the north of Chile, the Atacama Desert surprised me with its Martian landscapes. Further south, regions such as Araucanía and Patagonia offered lush tropical forests, snow-capped volcanoes, charming mountain towns and immense glaciers. The Andes Mountains rise above Santiago to the east and offer great outdoor adventures just a stone’s throw from the city center.

After living so close to the Andes, I could no longer imagine living in a flat city like Chicago. When I returned home, I wanted to be just minutes from the mountains.

Reno, Nevada, checked that box. The Sierra Nevada Mountains and Lake Tahoe are just a short drive from my home and offer easy access to spectacular outdoor opportunities such as hiking, backpacking, and biking.

Santiago changed my opinion about living in a big city.

Santiago is the capital of Chile and home to more than 7 million people, approximately 40% of the country’s total population.

Living in a large metropolis had advantages. There was never a shortage of things to do and the city’s public transportation network was extensive and easy to navigate.

Despite the advantages, there were also some drawbacks. The sheer size of the city meant that I spent hours in transit to move. Santiago is also prone to having poor air quality due to its geography, with most of the city located in a “bowl” surrounded by mountains.

I preferred the atmosphere of the smaller cities I visited in Chile, like Viña del Mar and Punta Arenas.

So once I returned home, I looked for small and medium-sized cities in the US that offered plenty of amenities, but on a more realistic scale.

About half a million people live in the Reno metro area, making it the perfect size for me.

I loved the sunny climate of Santiago.

For my preferences, a climate like that of Santiago is ideal.

The city has a temperate Mediterranean climate, with warm, dry summers and somewhat mild winters. Temperatures rarely exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit in summer, and winter days reach highs between 55 and 60 degrees.

Living in Santiago was the first time I lived in this type of climate and it blew me away. Having grown up in the cloudy Midwest, I couldn’t believe how much more cheerful I felt with the constant sunshine.

I soon realized that I could never live anywhere with a climate that was usually cloudy, rainy, and gray. Reno averages more than 250 days of sunshine a year, but still experiences all four seasons. I love the great weather here.

Living in Chile helped me find a new home in the United States.

When I told my friends and family that I was moving to Reno after I graduated, they looked at me funny. It was a drastic change from my previous plans to move to a city like New York.

Living in Santiago, however, helped me find what In fact What you look for in a city: sun, mountains and a small town feel.

Sure, Reno may not be as exciting as a city like New York or Chicago. It is far from being a global center of entertainment, gastronomy and business.

For me, however, the smaller city is my home and living abroad helped me find it.