“Why would you move to Alabama?”

If you moved here from another state, especially somewhere outside of the Southeast, you have probably heard this question. In June, my wife and I moved back to Alabama from Denver, Colorado. We made our announcement to friends and co-workers and then went through the long drawn out goodbye process. At the work parties, the dinners and drinks with friends, and even at our official goodbye BBQ the ice breaker of choice was “Why would you move to Alabama?”

If someone tells you they are moving, you ask why. It’s a natural and common inquiry. However, the question we were being asked was actually, “You live in Denver, why in the world would you ever leave Denver to go to boring, hot Alabama?” (At least, this is my interpretation based on the tone used every time we were asked.)

Denver and its urban sprawl have a population exceeding 4 million people. Almost everyone we met there was from somewhere else and had moved there after college. They were asked “Why would you move to Denver?” and most likely answered for the outdoors, recreation and lifestyle. Colorado is a beautiful place, and I am glad I had the chance to call it home, but the funny thing is so many people move there for the outdoors that the outdoors have become crowded. When skiing or heading into the mountains you sit in hours of traffic, when hiking you are never alone and on certain holidays, camp spots are almost impossible to come by.

Why did I move back to Alabama? I moved here for the outdoors, recreation and lifestyle. I moved here because I cannot think of a better place to paddle a river, hike a trail, explore a canyon, ride a bike and swim in a creek. I moved here for the Sipsey wilderness, Little River Canyon, The Bartram Canoe Trail, Hurricane Creek (Cullman), the coast, the caves, the canyons, the rivers and the forests.

I moved here because Alabama is beautiful, the forests are quiet, the trailheads have room to park and camping can be an outing with friends or a solo recharge with the natural world. I have lived in Georgia, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado, but I am home now. I live in Alabama for the outdoors, recreation and lifestyle. Why would I move to Denver?

~ Jon Nee

Featured photo courtesy of SamSegar.

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