I used to think I was fine with tiny living, because my entire childhood home was 20 sqr meters, but I now live alone in such a space and it's too small. I have huge windows, but the walls are closing in. The space is too small to furnish in a way which wouldn't hinder an aspect of everyday life. I'm so tired of algorithm trying to convince me tiny living is fine when it shows even worse conditions than mine. I wish I lived in 30 sqr meters or so. 40 sqr meters are way too burgoise for me, but I could use extra 10 sqr meters solely for the purpose of farting.
They have nature in cities too. Santa Monica Mountains >>> anything in Iowa.
The Driftless Area is intensely beautiful, don't dismiss that! Rolling forested hills and not a cornfield in sight.
Regardless, the point is that I don't have to pay money to enjoy these things. I can just go outside. They haven't totally commodified nature, not in Iowa nor California.