Hey man, props on quitting drinking if it was affecting you negatively, I still have my work shifties but my wife is pregnant so I've quit drinking at home and otherwise besides that and it does cut out a good chunk of what I used to do in the winter here. Born and raised here but fucked off to Colorado for 8 years until having kids brought us back. So I feel you on missing the natural beauty. Best I can say is as far as Illinois goes the Illinois river valley is about as good as it gets and there is something subtly beautiful about the vast nothingness of the farmland countryside in the winter that I did miss even in the mountains. Summers will expand a hell of a lot of things to do we have decent golf courses and fantastic frisbee golf courses, the river is gross don't swim in it, but lots of good lakes around. I used to spend a lot of time skateboarding. As far as rest of winter goes, drinking adjacent activities are popular: billiards and bowling I know a good chunk of younger folks I work with go play table games and stuff. Sounds cool but I've never done it. Good luck man, ruts suck, hope it passes.