It seems to a more common issue than I thought! And I do the same thing- I'm not really picturing their surroundings either, which is part of what makes it so hard. At least not the real intricate details. I don't need long descriptions, but I feel it is not as interesting if they are just talking and there aren't some actions to balance it out. In my fics, not other people. Oddly enough I don't even think about it when I'm reading other people's stories.