Plein Air painting

One of the reasons i want to attend a residency is to play at painting, that is, to do some plein air painting. I imagine it would be very relaxing to look at an object and paint it which is the opposite of how i have been working in the studio. In order for me to paint my "atmospheric" or "color field" paintings, i need to go into a place in my mind and somehow, make the connection between thought and color. I was inspired by this week's Robert Genn newsletter in which he describes plein air painting as play:
Feel and relish the environment.
Get into a "be here now" state of mind.
Start your work anywhere.
Look cleanly and with an uncluttered mind.
Be joyous and unencumbered in your stroke.
Work everywhere at once when you can.
Try to leave your strokes alone.
Do not labour or think too much.
Don't sweat the small stuff.
Let the painting tell you what it needs.
Though it may be small, make your picture big.
Without being a wimp, serve your subject.
Don't verbalize your sight--sense the being.
Surrender to earth's beauty and wisdom.
If you make errors, fix them in good humour.
Be suspicious of what you've been told, how you ought to do
things, and what you ought to think.

It's a great way to loosen up. Having said that, why do i need to go somewhere else to do this? I would like to be surrounded by the colors of nature. And yes, i could drive somewhere in California to do this but the price of accomodations for a week would be prohibitively expensive at the moment. And, i would like to see and experience a different environment.