How does where you LIVE influence how you TRAIN?
As you can see from my profile, I live in Schenectady NY - a hard formerly industrial town, formerly home of General Electric.
A lot of people think I'm crazy for living and working in Schenectady, but I love it here. The gray hardscrabble lifestyle does wonders for my training - and that of my violin students (no kung fu students yet since I'm in the process of getting a school together).
I live about 3 hours driving from my sifu, and I regularly make the trek to see him. He's been over here too, and he enjoys the tough but honest folks that live here.
Definitely my training has taken on more of a harder edge than when I was living up in Albany NY (state capital, not particularly economically great either). Here in Schenectady, there's little to do but train. Yet the historic aspect of the old buildings and the arts tradition (super-strong arts scene here) really inspires me to achieve higher quality.
Soon, I'll start a school here. Rent is cheap, and there seems to be quite a bit of interest in kung fu around these parts. I'm also getting interest from a lot of parents who want something productive and AFFORDABLE for their kids. Schenectady is a bit rough, and these parents are hoping that I'll provide some hard-nosed discipline and activity for their kids.
George Burns once said of Schenectady "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere". Yet no matter where I go, I'll carry the relentless existence of my days here in my heart.
How does where you live influence how you train?