When did "convenience" become synonymous with "happiness"?

It hit me last Tuesday as I stood on West Cliff Drive, salt air filling my lungs between a 10 AM buyer consultation and a 2 PM listing appointment... I DO have a toxic trait!

My toxic trait? Every time I leave Boulder Creek, I absolutely, unequivocally desire a little treat.

Ok hear me out, the treat is not the overpriced latte (though that helps). The treat is this—designing a life so intentional that a 35-minute winding drive through redwoods becomes the opening act to my own personal reset ritual.

The Mountain Tax (And Why I Gladly Pay It)

Let's be honest about what rural living in the Santa Cruz Mountains actually means:

• Target isn't around the corner. It's a commitment.
• Your favorite coffee shop requires planning, not impulse.
• "Running out for eggs" could be a 30-minute round trip minimum.

When I first moved to Boulder Creek, well-meaning friends (read: concerned SF city dwellers) asked the same question on repeat: "But isn't it so inconvenient?"

And here's what I've learned after years of mountain living while running a real estate business across Santa Cruz County: Inconvenience is just another word for intentionality.

The Art of Strategic Trip Stacking

Living rurally has turned me into an accidental efficiency expert. If I'm heading down Highway 9 for one thing, you better believe I'm orchestrating a full production.

My typical "town day" looks like this:

9:30 AM - Leave Boulder Creek (playlist: curated, tea: large, mindset: ready)

10:00 AM - Client showing in Santa Cruz

11:30 AM - The Treat: West Cliff walk, cortisol dropping with each wave crash

12:30 PM - Working lunch at Verve (answering emails, returning calls, pretending I have my life together)

1:30 PM - New Leaf grocery run (it's like we eat food daily or something...)

2:00 PM - Listing consultation in Seabright

4:30 PM - Target in Scotts Valley for that one item I can't seem to find anywhere else

5:30 PM - Stopping for a Yoga class at Heartwood Yoga in Ben Lomond on the way home because I earned it.

6:30 PM - Drive home as the fog rolls in over the ridge

Is this more complicated than living three blocks from Trader Joe's? Absolutely.

Is it infinitely more alive? You tell me.

What Rural Living Actually Teaches You

Here's what nobody tells you about choosing the mountains over the grid:

1. You become wildly protective of your time

When every trip requires intention, you stop saying yes to things that don't matter. Suddenly your calendar reflects your actual priorities, not just proximity convenience.

2. You learn the difference between isolation and solitude

One makes you lonely. The other makes you whole. Living among the redwoods taught me which one I actually needed.

3. You develop systems that serve you

• I keep a running "town list" on my phone
• My car always has reusable bags (you make that mistake once)
• I know which coffee shops are the best for mobile work sessions
• I've mapped every ocean access point for impromptu cortisol resets

4. You stop apologizing for your choices

Yes, I live 35 minutes from "civilization." Yes, I see mountain lions on my security cameras. Yes, sometimes the power goes out and I have to finagle with the generator at 11pm at night. And I wouldn't trade it for all the proximity convenience in Silicon Valley.

The Real Estate Perspective Nobody's Talking About

Here's my professional hot take: The Santa Cruz Mountains are wildly undervalued for what they offer.

While everyone's fighting over Westside bungalows and Eastside cottages—paying $1.4M for 900 square feet and neighbors close enough to hear their breakfast conversations—mountain properties offer:

• Actual land (not a postage stamp with delusions of grandeur)
• Privacy (your nearest neighbor might be an eighth of a mile away)
• Value per square foot that makes financial sense
• Appreciation potential as remote work normalizes
• Lifestyle equity (the intangible ROI of waking up to birdsong instead of traffic)

The "inconvenience" is really just a filter. It keeps out people who aren't ready for intentional living. And honestly? That's a feature, not a bug.

The Little Treat Philosophy (A Framework)

So here's what I've learned about deserving little treats:

The treat isn't the destination—it's the permission.

Permission to:

• Build in buffer time between obligations
• Honor your nervous system's needs
• Design days that include joy, not just productivity
• Choose the scenic route (literally and metaphorically)
• Make "efficiency" mean something more than speed

Living in Boulder Creek forced me to get creative with how I structure my time. And in doing so, it gave me something I didn't even know I was missing: agency over my own rhythm.

Think you can do this too?

Whether you're considering a move to the Santa Cruz Mountains or just curious about rural living in the Bay Area, here's what I want you to know:

This lifestyle isn't for everyone. And that's okay.

If you need:

• Walkable coffee shops
• Same-day Amazon delivery
• Neighbors you can wave to from your porch
• Multiple grocery store options within 5 minutes

...the mountains might feel more restrictive than freeing.

But if you're craving:

• Space to breathe (literally and figuratively)
• A forced digital detox from the convenience addiction
• Dark skies, old-growth forests, and actual wildlife
• A life that requires you to be more intentional

...then maybe that 35-minute drive isn't an inconvenience. Maybe it's the moat that protects your peace.

Santa Cruz Mountains living is a trade-off. You trade:

• Proximity for privacy
• Convenience for calm
• Grid-living for off-grid magic
• Quick trips for intentional journeys

And every single time I wind down Highway 9, catch that first glimpse of the Pacific, and feel my shoulders drop three inches—I know I made the right trade.

The treat isn't just the ocean walk between meetings.

The treat is the life I've designed that makes room for ocean walks between meetings.

Thinking about mountain living in Santa Cruz County? Let's talk about what "home" really means to you—beyond square footage and proximity to Costco. Book a no-pressure consultation where we explore lifestyle first, listings second.