
Originally Posted by
jessmarimba
I could be happy either in a cabin away from everything or in the middle of the city. It's the suburbs I hate. I'm surrounding by people but nothing useful is in walking distance. Except a gas station, which by nature probably needs driven to.
This is how I tend to feel, too. I like urban settings a lot, but I'd prefer to live in an urban setting where there is also a fair amount of green space, too. Downtown Indy wasn't ideal for me in that regard, although I otherwise liked living downtown. A city like Portland would be better (for a lot of reasons). But I'm also not one to be particularly chummy with my neighbors--although this is perhaps more of a reflection on having has some really lousy neighbors over the years and would appreciate having some land, too.
How happy I am in my environment has more to do with how like minded the community is than it's size or density. I hate where I live now, not because it's a small town, but because it's an extremely conservative small town lacking in any diversity. Compare that to the smallish town where I went to college that I loved, mostl because it is pretty liberal and diverse. I could be happy in the country if there was some degree of progressiveness there, too.
Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn. Appreciate your friends. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.
--Mary Anne Radmacher