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Could you, Would you, Do you....

I grew up in the country, and I do mean C O U N T R Y - middle of nowhere northern Illinois. The population of the nearest "town" was 84. HA. Eighty-four people! That's where we got our groceries - that's where the bank was - that's where the gas station was. The next closest city was 20,000 and that's where I moved when I graduated high school ... that was what we called the "city".

We currently live in the country again - the town near us has a population of 350. We are about 200 miles west of Chicago - our son and DIL lived downtown Chicago for 9 years and they loved it while they were there (I liked to visit but would never have lived there!). Now Jacob and Amanda are living in a small town of 1500 - a far cry from the city. It took Jacob time to adapt (a lot more time than it took Amanda). I think he still misses it sometimes, but their lifestyle is very much more relaxed now than it was when they were in the city.
 
I love being 45 mins from Chicago! I can go if I want to and avoid it too.
 
We have been talking that it would be awesome to move to a city when we retire.
 
I'm in a first-tier suburb of Copenhagen. I wouldn't mind being in the city proper as long as it was one of the quieter areas. CPH has lots of nice parks and stuff. I wouldn't want to go full-concrete or anything but parks are enough for me. Neither I nor DH drive so the public transit is important, and we love having lots of stuff to do, but I never feel like I *NEED* to do things. They'll all be there tomorrow.
 
KarenW said:
I live in the capital (Canberra) which is technically a city but is really seems a collection of small towns in one location. it is a fully planned city, no skyscrapers and lots of open spaces, trees etc - it is called the bush capital, I love it.
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I spent many years in Canberra and loved it. My parents are there still. I loved the open spaces but then when I graduated I moved away. I've lived in many large cities including Hongkong, Beijing and Shanghai. When we returned to Australia we moved to Brisbane for convenience but it is a city I have never really liked. Just last december we moved to 5 acres in the country hills behind our wonderful Sunshine coast beaches. I cannot see the neighbours and we drive to the nearest town for groceries. It feels like paradise.
 
Yep, I live in a "city". A city of about 8,000 people. Lol. It really is a small town and I love it. We can ride our bikes to the beach and do our cute little touristy downtown for ice or to the shops. I also can ride the 4 blocks to the grocery store too. I actually do love the big cities like NY and Chicago. I love the idea of walking everywhere or taking the bus or train instead of driving, but I think I'm too small town to live there full time. It's more fun to visit and do all the fun things like better shopping, dining and theatre and then go home. :)
 
KarenW said:
I live in the capital (Canberra) which is technically a city but is really seems a collection of small towns in one location. it is a fully planned city, no skyscrapers and lots of open spaces, trees etc - it is called the bush capital, I love it.
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I'm in Canberra too, but although I was raised in small country towns I love the city now! Canberra is too boring for me. I miss Sydney and Kuala Lumpur!!
 
I live in a city and some days I love it and some days I don't. Traffic can be a pain but the resturants and museums make it worthwhile!

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KarenW said:
I live in the capital (Canberra) which is technically a city but is really seems a collection of small towns in one location. it is a fully planned city, no skyscrapers and lots of open spaces, trees etc - it is called the bush capital, I love it.

We went to Sydney last week, it bucketed rain the whole time, and I realised I could never be a city girl, too many people, so hard to get anywhere (we complain if it takes longer than half an hour to get anywhere), was so glad to get home.

country girl, born and bred :)
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i really don't understand the layout of canberra, i can understand the draw card of living there, both country and city feeling to some extent but it is in no way comparable as a city based on architecture. everything just felt so remote.

i'm not good in cities, i need more personal space than cities can offer me - the sardine train system in hong kong was an experience, i so could not live there- i'm also not a fan of the urban sprawl going on near us at the moment- We live about 2 hrs south of Sydney in the Illawarra, and they're clearing land for 10,000 homes in our area and it means every direction from us has road works and earth moving equipment and our landscape is changing from rural outlook to boxy houses crammed in with no backyards and like one-lane roads because suburbia apparently means making apartment-sized houses on tiny blocks of land now.

Our kids go to school half an hour away so they can go to a better (in some opinions) school in the 'city' where DH also works; and the drive there and back is super annoying because people can't seem to merge or handle other cars merging on the entrances and exits to the highway, so it's half an hour of stop/start which used to only happen in Sydney (where i have family still) but there are a lot more families down here now, as housing prices have gone up. So that's the price we pay, more commuting time but i love our house and yard and we couldn't have that where they go to school because it's surrounded by apartment blocks. At this stage, 5 acres is too remote and country for me mentally, but i can see the appeal more now with that our suburb is getting blocked in with sardine houses.
 
Because of not driving I have to live in a city. Although I live in a large city now, I will have to move a lot closer to employment once I graduate as I currently spend 3+ hours a day on buses/trains on top of 7-8 hours at uni
 
jenevang said:
Of note, I personally live out a bit, surrounded by woods, lakes, creeks, horses and cows. Yet only about 10-15 minutes from town/school/church, etc. I find this the best of both worlds. (except for my slow internet connection, hehe... dreadful)
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I keep begging you to adopt me!!!!!!!! :heartlub:heartlub:heartlub

I reckon one adapts, and also, one of the most important things is what many of you have pointed out already: age & family.
I have lived in both middle of nowhere, military bases, beaches that are almost 3 hours from civilization, and in small, medium & big cities-
all over the world.

If anyone would have told me I would end up in England in London, I would have laughed- but one adapts. We moved when Sarita was two, to a very very small village in north east Brazil, which, shortly before we moved, had no electricity and when we moved and to this day there is no gas supply on mains, you need to buy the bottles to connect to your stove, and the water supply goes into water boxes we have on top of the houses of lifted on things (cant think of the name) - For Sarita was amazing, she grew up eating from the trees and climbing, riding horses every day & swimming in the sea, but the schooling once the kids are 6 or 7 gets tricky and the drive is over an hour on a dirt, very rocky road..
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the idea was to be there until she finished primary school but then we had to come back to England so she started year 1 here... we are lucky we live in a very quiet residential part of the city, but less than 10 minutes walking from all the buzz, and, taking that Sarita does musical theatre, no much to do in small cities or sea side villages, so I always think God knows which path He puts us in.... I just used to wish it was a bit later in her life that we had to come back.

I need to be near hospitals/good medical care now, so going somewhere quiet isn't an option but my desire always, since I was in my early teens, was to live the last years of my life in a small sea side village- I suffer when far from the ocean-

Now Vivi (Nemla) the problem with Malta is the same we have now in Trancoso (where we lived back then)is a very high tourist destination, so progress takes over and there is no structure, so the residents end up suffering.

I don't mind where I live these days providing there is medical care, but would love to have a house of my own.... lets hope Sarita gets famous fast LOL I would LOVE to live in NYC!!!!!!!!!!!!!
she is applying to a Uni called AMDA in NYC but she wants to go to the LA because NYC is a diploma but LA is a degree.....
 
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