The vibratory energy of a large mass of people in a huge city such as Melbourne, which is fast approaching the 5 million population point, is definitely something to be considered if you are sensitive to that. And I had moments while living and writing in London when I just wanted to be anywhere else but there because of the non-stop traffic sounds in Chelsea. It would have helped if the windows had been double-glazed for sound-proofing. (grin!)

I’ve noticed over the years that there is an interesting divide amongst artists and writers and film makers. Some of them cannot be productive in any kind of atmosphere OTHER than the urban environment — and others would go completely nutso if they had to hear sounds other than the swishing of the trees and the birdsong as they created their books or paintings or whatever.

As I said to Kate — isn’t choice a wonderful thing! Thanks for your own comments on the subject, Greg.

When we moved to the semi-rural community we currently live in, many of the locals had reactions similar to that of the Italian natives in that woman’s piece…”What the hell are you doing here? You gave up jobs in the city, fine restaurants, culture and living next to the Pacific Ocean in one of the most beautiful and benign climates in the world to move here? You must be crazy.” Sometimes we wonder if we ARE crazy.

The most challenging part of our move to the country was, IMO, the lack of culture and the difficulty dealing with the maddeningly close-minded people that tend to inhabit small towns. Anyone with any talent, drive, or creativity (including our kids) pretty much gets out of Dodge ASAP. Most city dwellers are closed minded/asleep as well but with a large enough population, you can usually surround yourself with a critical mass of friends who are interesting, creative, intelligent and compatible with one’s sensibilities.

I seem to be so sensitive to the energy fields of my environment that I was ground down by the psychic atmosphere of the city but even this small town we’re in feels oppressive at times. Whenever we take a day or two to spend at our country home (nearest neighbors are pretty much a kilometer away in all directions), it’s like coming up for air. The silence, stillness and beauty are invigorating.

OTOH, I do miss the art and live entertainment that one finds in an urban environment. If it weren’t for the internet, I’d be JONESin’ for a culture fix every week or so.

On the whole, given the times we’re in, I think I’d rather live in a small town and have the opportunity to escape to the city for occasional culture or to our country retreat for psychic peace as opposed to living in the city and trying to plan getaways that allow me to recover from that environment. To each their own.

You are the OTHER kind of artist, Kate — the kind that thrives on the scent of the garden and the rustling of the trees. I always thought I WAS like that until I recently decided to be quite honest with myself.

I posted the article because, just like the London-to-Italy-and-back woman, I think that there are rather a lot of us who dream of how fab life would be in the rural countryside, but perhaps we are so ingrained with our ‘city-ness’ that it isn’t always a good fit once we actually get here.

Isn’t it wonderful that, for the most part, we have choices in our lives about where to be and how to live!