If we don't get to explore and rebuild more of Garlmald, it will be a waste.

[MikkoAkure]

Well, no where where you can freeze to death 24/7/365 is hospitable, really.

All of this just happened to have happened in the winter. Eorzea Encyclopedia and a few extremely missable passages of dialogue suggest that Garlemald thaws out in their short summers, which at least makes it more habitable than Ishgard currently is.