My move from Los Angeles to Palm Springs was supposed to be temporary. Six years later, I'm still here.

I love that there's so much nature here, even within city limits.

Tara Dupuis I moved to Palm Springs temporarily, with the goal of returning to Los Angeles within a few months.

However, I quickly fell in love with the desert city's nature, cultural scene, and community.

Six years later, I'm still here — and though there are things I miss about LA, I have no regrets.

When I lived in Los Angeles , I considered Palm Springs a sunny respite about a few hours away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

I made a point of visiting the desert city a few weekends a year to enjoy perfect winter weather and laid-back, poolside hangs.

I never imagined living there, though, until the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Suddenly, Los Angeles felt claustrophobic.

Like many others in the city during this time, I wanted to find a place with more breathing room.

Since most of my work was already remote, I was not tethered to a location and decided to make a move.

Palm Springs offered a lower population density, plenty of wide-open vistas, and a slower pace of living, all of which appealed to me.

I planned to just "wait out" the pandemic in Palm Springs and return to LA when it was over.

So, I negotiated my lease down to a six-month stay.

Pandemic-related restrictions lasted well beyond that initial period, but I didn't want to leave.