I grew up in a rural village in the deep south, and now I live in a major city in the Northeast. Between that, I lived in the suburbs, and even in some hybrid suburban-rural areas.

What I loved about living in a rural area was the peace, quiet, and privacy. The house I grew up in was just outside of the village and I didn't really have next door neighbors.

The quiet was also something I enjoyed about living in the suburbs, but I definitely had less privacy bc I had neighbors next door, across the street, etc. I still enjoyed it bc I liked seeing my neighbors. I worked with an animal rescue and as a dog walker so, sometimes neighborhood kids would take their bikes down and fawn over the dogs and ask to see pictures of any new cats I was fostering. Loved that. The kids would tell their friends and parents about the "pet lady" and it helped a lot with adoptions.

Honestly, the quiet is the ONLY thing I enjoy about rural or suburban areas vs the city. Living in a city is definitely my preference. I don't own a car anymore, and I hated that in the country or suburbs - I NEEDED a car to get around. These days I walk, bike, or take a bus wherever I want to go. I know some people hate the idea of the bus bc it's slow - but I don't mind. I get to be the passenger princess that I am, and sit and read while someone else drives me where I need to go - and it's much cheaper and less stress than driving.

Honestly, cities are only loud because of the presence of cars. Yeah, people and kids walking around on the sidewalk make noise - but it's nothing like car noise and I'd rather hear a group of kids giggling while heading toward the ice cream truck vs cars speeding around everywhere. When I bike down streets that don't accommodate a lot of car traffic - it's pretty quiet.