City Energy or Country Quiet

The place you live is very important. Before, I used to think that as long as I remained indoors where no one would come to disturb me, I could achieve whatever I wanted. That I could read for long hours, complete a novel in a sitting and even write creatively. It was later I realized that the environment you live in can either affect your productivity negatively or positively. This brings me to today's Hive Learners’ prompt: Urban or Rural. If you had the opportunity to choose between a rural and urban area, which one would you go for? I have actually had the opportunity to live in both rural and urban areas and each has its own benefits. Both areas have advantages and disadvantages.

I grew up in a bustling City. Cars were always honking and drivers yelling at each other almost every hour of the day. The first time I traveled to my dad’s hometown, a rural area, was when I was very young. My memories are a little flawed, but I think I was in elementary school at the time. Compared to the lively city life, the village was calm and peaceful. You could hear the birds chirping and the toads croaking. It's the reverse in the City. The noises from vehicles would drown out the sounds of birds and you would start to wonder if birds actually exist in the City or not. So, if you're the type that enjoys some peace and quiet.

Some writers are productive in quiet places. Once they hold the pen, they don’t let go until the very end. Living in the rural area would be advantageous for anyone who fits into this category. While there are so many advantages that come with the quietness that rural areas bring, there are also disadvantages. Sometimes we might want to have fun and go to cool places. Maybe after a long day at your desk, you need a place where you can relax your muscles, drink and dance. This is where one vital disadvantage of rural areas comes in. They are limited in resources.

Moving on, I have lived most of my life in the big cities. Recently, I visited my sister in Lagos, the most populated city in Nigeria. Lagos is the perfect definition of a bubbling City. It never sleeps. I understand that some cities might not be as big, crowded and busy as Lagos, but I'm sure they share similarities. If you are the kind that loves to have fun. You love going for parties, clubs, and other recreational centers. If that is the case, then city life is for you. As I mentioned earlier, but areas have advantages and disadvantages. And one of the disadvantages of city life is the distractions that come with it.

If you have lived in both rural and urban areas, you realize that happiness is not really about where you stay. It depends on what you need at that point in your life. Sometimes you want the quiet of the rural areas. You just want to relax and enjoy the air. Other times you need the energy and opportunities that come with living in a city.

Image in this post is mine.

Thanks for reading.