Balancing location with school/department for PhD study
I chose to do my Ph.D. in a major American city eight hours away by train from my rural hometown. My adviser is great. I have started to hate the city and pine for the wilderness every day. Yet I know a bad adviser elsewhere could make my life perhaps even more miserable, and might even make me hate my work. Somehow, you should try to balance your need for nature, learning other languages, etc. with the benefits of the institution and advising. I can't say there's any solution to this dilemma. Maybe just try to get through the five years and be sure to choose a better location after graduation.