Since starting a position that requires me in the office for 3 or more days a week, I no longer have the energy (or schedule) to attend since I spend ~120-160m in traffic. Between that and the lack of proximity to my own kitchen affecting my dietary choices, I've gained almost 40lbs in 2 years.
All of this is of course avoidable with self-discipline, but self-discipline wanes as you get more exhausted from your day.
Moving to a smaller city changes your job, which changes how much you are paid, which changes how close you can live to the city, and your neighbors may still suck. It's likely that you'll end up in the same soul-sucking commute life that you just left.
You went from one extreme to the other. 2 to 2.5 hours of commute each day is very unusual.
AI will help by doing all the intellectual work.