All good points. I personally consider every time I get in the car to be a failure on my part that I regret. It takes some planning, but I get around mostly by

All good points. I personally consider every time I get in the car to be a failure on my part that I regret. It takes some planning, but I get around mostly by walking, biking, and taking advantage of our regional bus system (which admittedly does not come very often). Other friends of mine commute by cross country skiing or by rowing when the weather makes it conducive. There is a lot of great music in rural areas, especially live music. It helps if you develop an appreciation for fiddle music and sad songs about logging camps, the love that you lost, and really good dogs. Admittedly these may be acquired tastes. Having close contacts in urban areas certainly helps on the income front, and I will admit is that a minimum of a three hour drive to the nearest major airport makes jetting off to speak or consult challenging. I am definitely going to look into the ecological balance, because I that is something I cannot speak to. A lot of my neighbors have solar panels and are off the grid, but you could be right about that.