Exhausted from years of big-city hustle, I moved to an idyllic mountain town in Colorado. It wasn't so idyllic for me.

After years of living in the mountains, I realized it wasn't the paradise I had hoped it would be.

Courtesy of Allison Snyder After years of growing my career in New York City, I moved to a small mountain town in Colorado .

I loved being surrounded by nature, but I struggled to put down roots and missed parts of city life.

Spending time away from this town helped me realize I needed to leave.

A few years later, I did.

At 34, after years of climbing the ranks of a Wall Street law firm, I was burned out and deeply disconnected from the natural world.

Unsure of where I wanted to live, after leaving my job, I spent a year camping in the American Wes t.

During that trip, I visited Telluride, Colorado, and was immediately awed by the rose-emerald hues, toothy ridgelines, and elk herds roaming the valley.

It was the sort of place I often fantasized about escaping to, and it was easy to see why it's routinely voted one of the best mountain towns in the US.

In early 2017, ready to settle in one spot, I moved to a valley just south of Telluride, certain I'd find a simpler, more connected way of life.

I enjoyed reconnecting to nature, but felt like something was missing I enjoyed being surrounded by nature while living in Colorado. wayneharney/Getty Images At first, I was awash in the alpine paradise .

Outside my front door, there were countless trails and 13,000-foot peaks to explore.

During winter, I admired magpies swooping in the snow, and savored the effort of chopping kindling and tending a fire.

In spring, I was mesmerized by the aspen blooming green across the mountains and thrilled by the return of hibernating marmots.