We moved from Chicago to a much smaller Midwestern city. It had a lot of perks, but not enough to keep us.
My husband and I moved from Chicago to Lafayette, Indiana. Living in the smaller city helped give us a career boost, but we eventually moved back home.
Renita Quirls moved with her husband from Chicago to Lafayette, Indiana after years of living in the city. They had grown tired of the hustle and bustle of city life, and wanted a change. Initially, Lafayette seemed like the perfect solution - quieter, more affordable, and with a sense of safety they had missed in Chicago. They landed jobs in the fields they had struggled to break into in the city, and enjoyed the slower mornings and crickets instead of sirens.
The community was welcoming, and they found themselves feeling safer and more secure. The affordability of Lafayette also made it an attractive option. However, after a few months, the silence became overwhelming. Without the constant distractions and activities of city life, they were faced with their own thoughts and questions.
Slowing down taught them the power of stillness, but they missed the diversity and familiarity of their old life. They dealt with health struggles, which made it difficult for them to socialize. In the end, after six years in Lafayette, they decided to return to Chicago. The shift back was just as drastic as the move away - the stars disappeared, long lines returned, and the noise hit them hard after years of peace.
But they found comfort in reconnecting with friends, family, and communities that felt familiar. They realized that peace doesn't depend on the quietness of surroundings, but rather on how one navigates the noise around them.
Written by urgent.news from Business Insider's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
