City Life vs. Country Life, Essay Example

Life in both a city and the country has a different charm. Just as we may not agree upon the most beautiful place in the world, similarly, one cannot claim that life in the city or the country is always better than the other. We all have different personalities and perspectives and quite often want different things from life. This is why some people may find the cities to be more appealing while others yearn for a life in the country. I am fortunate to have experienced life in both the cities and the country and while each has its attractions and shortcomings, I am mostly a country person at heart.

Life in the city is in the fast lane. When I was in New York, everyone always seemed in hurry. It seemed that people either slept or worked and nothing else. Some people would tell me that people who socialize in New York are often college students or those with less than average career ambitions. This made me realized that people in the city do go to the extremes and are not content with the average. But when I was living in the country, I liked the fact that people had mastered the art of balancing work and life. They worked hard but when work was over, they would totally forget about it and hang out with family and friends. They never waited for the weekends to enjoy life. The country people have taught me that sometimes life is best experienced at a slow pace. I might have heard from many in the cities that you should live every day as if it is your last day on the earth but it seems that only country people truly understand the meaning behind it.

Cities are huge not only in terms of geographical area but also population. While cities do have the benefit of greater diversity of cultures and ethnicities but huge population size prevents the feeling of community that I enjoyed in the country. People in the country even treat strangers as their own and smile often while greeting each other. A smile may not be much but it would remind me that country people are not totally absorbed in their own lives and do take the moment to acknowledge others’ presence.

Cities stay on the leading edge of latest trends whether in technology, fashion, or lifestyle habits. Thus, what I experience in cities is usually popular culture which keeps changing and may also exist in similar forms in other areas of the world. Thus, cities lose a distinctive trait that comes from a preserved culture. Country towns on the other hand resist modernity to some extent which is why I felt I was experiencing the same culture that one might have experienced even three decades ago or more. While cities exhibit present and future, country towns exhibit present and past. Since I have an interest in antique elements of culture, it is natural that I enjoy life in the country more than in the cities.

Country towns may not be as developed and populated as cities but there are also some advantages in it. First of all, there is less noise and the place doesn’t feel condensed. Everyone can freely enjoy its space and cheap real estate prices also help a lot. I was living with friends in a house that had a rent of only $500 while such a big house in a major city could easily have cost at least $5,000 by conservative estimates. In addition, I also noticed low environmental pollution which may explain why country people have good health and live long life. I found country people to be more content with their lives and less stressful even though their net worth was just average by the standards of rich people in big cities.

But like anything else, even your favorite things have shortcomings. I do consider myself open minded and have observed that people in country towns are not only old-fashioned but sometimes also resist progressive ideas because they feel threatened. To some extent, I understand that they want to preserve their traditions but at the same time, embracing progressive ideas is inevitable if the country towns want to ensure their long-term future. This is why I do feel sad at times as country towns have been fast disappearing and believe that country people do need to embrace flexibility for their own benefits.

I also noticed that there were fewer recreational opportunities in country towns such as museums and theaters. For someone who likes to explore different activities, it was a little disappointment. But at the same time, limited recreational activities also make life simple. This may also be why country people are less materialistic because they only need few things in life to be happy. The rules of simple life they inherit from their parents remain with them for lives. It seems there is an upside to resisting change also because it allows country people to avoid many social issues commonly faced by city people.

I like country life because it balances both work and family/social life and avoid extremities. Despite few economic resources, I found country people to be more content with life and less stressful. Country people are also more friendly and I felt a sense of community in country towns that is frequently absent in big cities. I also found the absence of noise and environmental pollution to be quite soothing during my stay in country towns.