I Finally Understand the Appeal of Suburban Living
The idea of safety, security, and stability is not such a bad thing. In fact, it’s a privilege to have.
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Up until the day that I left for college, the only environment that I had ever truly known was suburban life — I had never even been on an airplane until I was 18 and I didn’t even own a passport until I was 23.
Growing up, I lived in a fairly well-known town that was located smack dab in the center of New Jersey. Similar to any wholesome, suburban town in America, it had all the usual attractions that any town could offer — a few shopping malls, a decent variety of chain restaurants, nice public parks, a good school system, etc.
There were also endless neighborhoods where all of the houses looked almost exactly the same. And although I never actually lived in a neighborhood that looked like this, I got the gist of it.
Anyone who’s also lived in a town similar to mine, you should know that suburban life was fairly easy — it was safe, secure, and seldom changed. And of course, like any young adult who was yearning to break free from the confines of their hometown, I was dead set on leaving the suburbs. So immediately after graduating college, I fled to New York City.
When I first moved into the city, I was a wide-eyed, naive twenty-something year-old who just wanted her independence and to prove that I was capable of making it on my own. I had that fiery energy that only comes from the innocence of an individual who arrived somewhere brand new. I was eager to explore and discover who I was and who I was yet to become.
Now, fast forward to present day — ten years later — and I’m sad to say that fiery energy has since burnt out. I no longer see the city with the same awestruck wonder that I had when I first arrived.
The shiny newness has faded away and I’ve developed somewhat of an indifference to living here. If anything, the hustle and bustle of the city ultimately started to take its toll on me, both mentally and physically. And now, as a thirty-something year-old who no longer holds the same regards towards the city that I once had in my twenties, the appeal of this lifestyle has somewhat worn out and I’m not ashamed…
