“I’m a city girl now!” is what I’ve been telling everyone since moving back in August.
I left the nest and found a cute 4 1/2 apartment, expecting some obvious changes along the way. But as I settled in, I began to notice the smaller, unexpected adjustments that ended up affecting me more than I thought.
Now that it’s October and a couple of months have passed since the move, here are 5 things that changed for me since leaving the suburbs and moving closer to the city.
1. The shorter commute
No more 1.5-hour commute to work! Now that I live closer to the city, I have more time to get ready in the morning, to meditate, to stretch or to finally start eating breakfast. But to be quite honest, I just sleep in.
On the downside, I’ve lost my 1.5-hour time to do something productive during my bus ride. My shorter commute is a little bittersweet. I don’t have the abundance of time to work or read on the bus like I used to. I had grown so used to my “Kindle time” on the bus, but now I don’t have enough time to get wrapped up in the world of my romance novel.
2. The noise
Moving closer to the city means moving to a busier area. There’s a lot of noise. There are car headlights seeping through my bedroom curtains, and I really miss the sound of birds chirping in the morning.
The suburbs are usually so much quieter, especially at night. And I do miss those peaceful evening strolls and the relaxing bike rides through my old neighborhood.
3. The proximity to everything!
In the suburbs, the grocery store is a 10 to 15-minute drive away, just like the gas station and the library. The suburbs are definitely meant for people with cars and a license. And since I’m still working on my fear of driving, the suburban life isn’t exactly for me right now.
My new place is a 5-minute walk (yes, WALK) away from 3 grocery stores, the pharmacy, a gym and a ton of local restaurants.
4. The accessibility
Everyone takes public transportation in my new area. So busses tend to stop by more often than in the suburbs. I used to have to wait half an hour if I miss the bus. Now, I can already see one a few blocks away.
5. The neighbours
It’s not that the city has mean people living in it, it’s that everyone is usually in more of a rush. People are busier and they lead a faster-paced life than in the suburbs. To be fair, the average age in my old neighbourhood was much higher than where I am now. But I find that the suburbs prefer to take things easy.
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There are always pros and cons wherever you live and some things can be harder to adjust to than others. But for now, I’m enjoying the process of adapting to a new environment.
Change is the only constant, so why not embrace it!
The Lilac Blog 