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I SO relate to this. Moved out of London two years ago and can't believe I managed to live there for 20 years!

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Oct 23, 2022·edited Oct 23, 2022Author

Right!? You realize how bad it is once you leave... in the moment you are blind to it.

- Madison

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I so relate to your post. I never realised how much living right in the middle of a city affected my mental health until the pandemic hit. While it's not New York city, I live in the town centre of a satellite city of sorts. During the lockdown, I longed so much for some green, but all I saw were buildings. And the noise pollution seemed worse, what with a neighbour whose kids never stopped screaming or crying.

I have since moved to a leafy part of that same city, on top of a hill. My apartment has two balconies. One faces the hills of the town. In both balconies I grow flowers and vegetables. I start the day walking the neighbourhood, which has giant trees and lots of gardens. It's quiet, so very quiet compared to my crazy apartment in the city. I should've moved out so much earlier.

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Hi Elizabeth, thanks for sharing! I'm glad you were able to recognize this and find a new apartment that embraced nature more. It's crazy how something like a pandemic, while awful, can be a huge wakeup call in all sorts of positive ways. I also didn't realize how much I needed the outdoors until it hit. Even just not having to commute on public transportation or busy highways makes such a difference! - Madison

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