I find travel a mixed blessing, with the best part returning home. I always gain renewed appreciation of qualities we take for granted. I also again understand why our region is so appealing. No wonder we’re a magnet for migrants.

Our most recent trip to Washington, DC reminds me that simply living here inures us to the exceptional quality of our region. Upon return, I realize that for folks not wedded to oceans or big cities, our social, cultural, and environmental qualities are unsurpassed.

Ramona and I recently spent a productive and pleasant week in DC. We saw old friends, worked on next summer’s seminars for federal judges, and visited the Smithsonian. We enjoyed excellent meals and even better company.

I am addicted to endorphins. When on the road, I always seek a place with good workout facilities; without them, my mood is impaired. However, despite staying in lovely places, none of their workout areas equals the one I know best in Bozeman, The Ridge. (Some discerning friends prefer another.) Here’s how Bozeman’s several clubs are superior.

First, in addition to professional certification, most of the full-time staff here hold university degrees while most part-timers are MSU students. Their high human capital may well be underemployed, but we are the beneficiaries.

Second, our region attracts serious funhogs of all ages. Many are committed to fitness -- a contagious condition -- and quite a few are accomplished competitors. I enjoy working out with determined, cheerful others.

These two qualities complement the geologic and ecological features of home. They are indicative of our quality of life and illustrate its attractiveness to visitors. Here are some cultural features that add to the attraction.

When traveling, I tune into NPR stations. Most cities have several, and I seek the quality I get from Yellowstone Public Radio. I’ve yet to find it. Some are all talk, others a mix with classical and jazz. None equals YPR.

I contribute to YPR -- even though I find some programs pretentious and whiney. (Linda Hunt introduces City Arts and Lectures as though a PC parody.) And YPR lacks any libertarian content. Regardless, YPR has, over the decades, come to excel. Its programming mix is superb: Morning Edition, classical music, two hours of interviews on policy issues at noon, All Things Considered at 5:00, and Car Talk Saturday morning at 10:00. All this plus significant local programming. When traveling I wish for YPR.

Here’s a daylong illustration of why we miss home, even when in an “exciting” and sophisticated city. I began Sunday checking the livestock water and watching trout in our spring creek. Then, an hour after leaving home, we were skiing Bridger. After four hours of skiing, we went to The Ridge to stretch and shower before attending a concert by the Meritage Quartet at Pilgrim Congregational Church, featuring Beethoven, Shostakovich, and Schubert. Finally, we returned home for grilled buffalo. And this is a normal Sunday in the Gallatin Valley. Is there a better life anywhere?

Perhaps not -- but the following non-event may be the best part. On our way to DC we were a bit late in arriving at Gallatin Field. In our haste, we inadvertently parked our Suburban with the passenger’s window left wide open.

As usual, it was loaded with our normal winter provisions: ski gear, down coats, tool boxes, boots, jumper cables, tow ropes, etc., all in full view. And I had left a wallet and binoculars in the center console. There it sat for a week.

Upon return, I fetched the vehicle while Ramona waited for the luggage. And guess what: everything was there. The easiest heist imaginable not taken. I was pleased but not terribly surprised. Contrast our experience with this. In DC, friends in nice neighborhoods tell of cars in front of their homes broken into and stripped of every thing of value. They consider this “normal”; just a part of their urban life.

Our experience at Gallatin Field may be an anomaly. We feel lucky. And yet we were not astounded, merely pleasantly surprised.

Our community is defined not only by natural treasures but also by culture, civility, and respect for others. Let’s work to preserve these very special qualities.