I have a very love/ hate relationship with London. When I have a weekend like that, I adore the place. The energy and the buzz are unreal and I leave with a heavy heart on the train back to sleepy Suffolk.
Other times I can't get away quick enough. I need some space and some tranquillity and some goddam fresh air which is perhaps why I've never taken the plunge and moved to the Big Smoke.
Pros for life in a city:
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| Sunrise at Big Ben- taken by my girlfriend Sam before her Palace to Palace bike ride |
Accessibility- cities run on a 24 hour lifestyle so you can go buy your groceries, do your laundry, eat dinner, buy some clothes and catch a bus well into the evening, meaning your work pattern needn't hinder your chances of getting shit done! If you're living somewhere more rural you're absolutely buggered if you miss the weekly bus to the local town...I guess at least you can enjoy all the nature on the long walk back to the house until next week's bus arrives #everycloud
Culture & Diversity- living in a city means that you are exposed to a hot bed of different cultures and lifestyles. Generally people seem more tolerant and open minded (unlike some rural folk who get confused at the premise of a spring roll). You're exposed to the harsh realities of the world such as homelessness which encourages apathy and you wouldn't even bat an eyelid when passing cyber- goths in Camden or Hare Krishnas chanting in Hyde Park.
Job Opportunities- This is obviously dependant on the line of work. For example, I work at a Landbased College in the countryside so obviously a lot of the jobs on offer for students wouldn't suit an inner city e.g. jobs in Horticulture, Arboriculture, Agriculture or Equine Studies. On the whole however, there are more jobs, in most sectors, per capita in cities and therefore your opportunity to grow and become successful are increased.
Pros for life in the country:
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| A pint of local brew: Aspall Cyder at the Sorrel Horse pub in Shottisham |
Pollution- I live relatively near the coast so I am used to fresh northerly winds blasting me in the face most days. I am used to hearing birds and seeing stars and not feeling like I have a layer of grime in my hair after a trip on the tube. I struggle to sleep with the sound of sirens acting like a warped cockerel in the morning waking me up every 10 minutes.
Space- space to walk, to grow veggies, to clear your head and escape people for a little bit. I love gardens and wooded areas and the sea and driving through the countryside on my commute (it beats sweaty armpits on the tube any day).
Pace- this can be seen in a literal sense e.g. avoiding the Usain Bolt- esque persona that some business folk adopt on the Underground or in a metaphorical sense e.g. stuff will get done...eventually, but just at a more leisurely pace (this can be seen as a con to some people who get bored with the sleepy countryside way of life).
Hello and welcome to This Ruth Is On Fire, a UK blog which is a haven for random thoughts and sarcastic observations.
I'm also into books, clothes and visiting places too.
