I moved from Indiana to New Mexico for a sunnier life. My social life, mood, and physical activity level have gotten a major uplift.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jagdish Khubchandani, a 47-year-old professor of public health in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

It’s been edited for length and clarity.

After working in medicine in India, I moved to the US to study and started my career here as an assistant professor, then an associate professor, and finally a full professor in Indiana.

Since 2020, I’ve been working at New Mexico State University as a professor of public health and program advisor.

After moving from Indiana to New Mexico, I feel I made the right choice and am happier because I don’t have to deal with brutal winters, snow-related hassles, or constantly staying indoors.

It’s also been a new phase of learning as I’m in public health, and a change of setting demands thinking and acting differently.

After graduating, I took local jobs in New Delhi as a resident physician in internal medicine and psychiatry.

I started to feel that my impact was limited to individuals, and I hoped to gain more skills and training to have a broader impact on more people.

I packed my bags and moved to Kentucky for a master’s degree in public health, then to Ohio for my doctorate in health education.

I was hired as a faculty member at BSU in Indiana.

In total, I lived in the Midwest for 15 years, with the last 10 in Indiana.

The small college town of Muncie averages more than a foot of snow each winter.

Some winters in Muncie were really harsh, windy, and freezing for weeks at a time.

My life was static with few social connections, infrequent pursuit of hobbies, little travel, and not meeting new people or exploring new cultures.

Work-wise, too, I felt I was stagnating and limited by the same routine.

My line of work emphasizes assessing and helping to solve societal challenges in health, education, and social welfare.

My opportunities for personal and professional growth were limited at times.

Because a substantial part of the year was colder, I was constantly indoors, became more sedentary, grew easily tired, and felt like I was aging faster.

I kept pushing through and realized there are parts of the country where sunshine could be felt for more than nine months.

For a few years, moving to a warmer place in a different region was on my mind.

I wanted a reasonable cost of living and a midsize city.

These were the only major criteria, in part because I knew that some states with more sunshine could have expensive and overcrowded towns.

Other states on my priority list besides New Mexico were Texas, Nevada, and Arizona.

Academic positions take a long time to obtain, and I almost lost hope.

I applied to New Mexico State University in November 2019 and was offered a position by the end of June 2020.

The entire interview process took place over Zoom, and I never visited New Mexico.

I quickly wrapped up all my work in Indiana, signed a lease on an apartment in New Mexico, and by the end of July, I was on the road driving to Las Cruces.

It was a mix of many emotions: sadness at leaving a lot behind, uncertainty, curiosity, nervousness, and optimism.

I didn’t negotiate much, and, honestly, my primary goal was to avoid the cold weather and several months without sunshine.

Salary was not a major deciding factor for me in the move; professional and personal satisfaction were the major drivers.

Still, when I came to New Mexico, I realized that Indiana offers much cheaper options for food, groceries, housing, utilities, entertainment, and other household needs.

I started paying anywhere from 5% to 25% higher costs across various categories.

Between Muncie, Indiana, and Las Cruces, New Mexico, the biggest cost difference is in housing and healthcare.

I bought a house in 2023, but I used to rent a two-bedroom, two-bathroom for $800 a month in Indiana in 2020, and that jumped to $1,050 in New Mexico.

People in New Mexico are easygoing and generally friendly.

At times, given my appearance, the local people confuse me with being Hispanic, and they start talking to me in Spanish.

I now cook more often, invite more people over, and have started a small garden because many plants grow here, such as chiles.

I also appreciate having more time for myself.

When I came here, I was introduced to the popular phrase “land of mañana,” a colloquial description of a more laid-back pace of life.

It took me some time to get used to such flexibility, but it has been a boon.

Since I moved, I’m more open to visiting places, trying foods, and experiencing subcultures.

I believe the mix of people here brought about this change in me seamlessly and without making me feel awkward.

I’m grateful for all that I have, as I constantly see serious challenges with healthcare, jobs, and immigration in this part of the country.

Professionally, for me, there’s a greater need for public health initiatives.

I have both a sense of gratitude and professional fulfillment.

One downside is that Indiana offers more access to and direct links with other parts of the world than New Mexico does.

It takes more time, effort, and resources to see family and friends out of state or out of the country than I originally thought.

I don’t miss much else from Indiana except my friends and coworkers and, at times, the whole vibe of winter festivities, like the holiday decorations.

The opportunity to explore a new culture, meet new people, go out more often, and make friends has been an unexpected but pleasant surprise from moving.

I’ve stopped feeling like a stranger.

It took me a long time to appreciate what my parents often told me, “You live only once, listen to your heart.” Thankfully, I did.

I made a quick move without extensive thought or planning, and I ended up in the right place.

I have no plans to leave, but I also know that life has a way of surprising us, and I am happy to see where the journey leads.