One of the enticing things about the job I took was that it offered an immediate 0pportunity to move to Boston for 9 months, which was fine with me. It was a great experience and Boston is a fantastic city, but I realized that I didn’t like city living. Looking long term, I would never have been able to afford the apartment that the company was paying for, so I would have been relegated to either a tiny apartment in the city, or someplace out in the burbs which would mean a few hours of lost commuting time each day. Second, it never really felt like I had my own space. Apartment – rented. Transportation? Subway or walking was always crowded with other people. Greenspace? Sure, for you and everyone else to share.

The realization that I liked living in Buffalo happened when I moved back home, walked into my parent’s back yard, looked up at the changing trees and fall sky and let out a big sigh. I could feel the speed of life dial crank down a few notches. It wasn’t even something I noticed while living the fast paced city life, but being out of it changed my perspective.

This is a far better place to buy a house, settle down with a family, and actually enjoy life. I have a job that lets me travel around the world, a place to call my own, and control over the speed of my life. Am i missing opportunities afforded by bigger cities? I don’t think so. Opportunities are made by the individual, not by the place they live in.