The Urban Dweller’s Guide to Downsizing Cities
Going from a bustling environment to a sleepy one takes some adjusting
Three years ago, I up and moved to what could appropriately be called the middle of nowhere. I’d always lived in or near a major metropolitan area: I grew up in a busy Philadelphia suburb and went to college in New York. But when my partner’s company asked him to relocate somewhere significantly sleepier, I decided to tag along.
In my corner of central Pennsylvania, I’m separated from most of my neighbors by sprawling cornfields. The local Dollar General is pretty much the only place to pick up ice cream or eggs after 8 p.m. The pizza joints and Chinese restaurants don’t deliver. There’s no Uber, though I did once see a car with a pink Lyft mustache in the windshield. It was so out of place that I took a picture.
It took me a long time to get used to my rural surroundings, but there’s a lot I love about being here. I have backyard chickens and beehives and enough space to let my dogs wander. I never have to get out of bed to make sure the doors are locked, because even if they’re not, there’s nothing to worry about. At night, there are plenty of stars, and in the morning, a whole chorus of birds.
