On Cities

There are some cities I am particularly fond of, which is not something you might expect to hear from me given that my personal mission is to motivate and inspire people to get outside and explore the great outdoors. Still, it’s true. I spent many years living in and visiting world-class cities, and I am not blind to their many exceptional qualities.

It’s easy to get down on city life, especially if you’re a person like myself who thrives through their connection with the natural world. The crowds, the pollution, and the cost of living can be soul-crushing. I made the above image on a summer evening while meandering around downtown Denver with a friend. I had no photographic goals in mind that day and encountered the scene through sheer serendipity. The photo has become a reminder for me that a chaotic and messy urban metropolis may also contain a tremendous amount of diversity, vitality, and even playfulness within its borders.

I used to believe an outstanding array of services and opportunities would enable a city to claim world-class status, but I’ve come to realize that’s not correct. Those characteristics are the result of being a first-rate city, not the cause of being one. Great cities are great because they are occupied by great people, cosmopolitan human beings filled with enthusiasm, excitement, and creativity.

Many years ago, I was enamored by all the things a city could provide, but nowadays I place a different value on urban areas. I’m quite a social person, and I find cities to be a place to recharge my love of people, whereas nature is the place for me to recharge my soul. I enjoy my time in cities not despite their concrete contrast to the natural world, but because of it.

I won’t be moving back to a large city anytime soon, yet I enjoy absorbing the energy and excitement from time to time. Typically, I can only manage to cope with the stress of city life for a few days, until the madness overwhelms me. Then, with a fresh perspective, I head back out into nature.

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