i don’t like the suburbs

welcome to introspection ft. harsehaj! ⭐️ i’m harsehaj, an 18 y/o always up to something in social good x tech.

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btw, feel free to reply with topic ideas you want me to write about for future posts.

onto today’s topic: i don’t like the suburbs 🏡 

growing up in the suburbs as a kid was great — i wouldn’t have it any other way. neighbourhoods were full of children, there were soccer fields everywhere for me to play in, and we were close enough to the big city if we wanted an adventure.

now at 18, however, the suburbs feed into a feeling of stagnancy. the lack of things to do and means to travel anywhere limit the possibility of being spontaneous and meeting new people. 👯 

i was reflecting today on how much i’m able to do in the bay while living in the city. there’s literally a new adventure every single day. one day i want to try out a new café? i can just walk over to a new spot. or if i want to meet new people? i’ll just pop into an event.

on the flip side, if i was living surrounded completely by nature, that would also be fine. there’s adventure in hiking up mountains or calling friends over to the beach.

the suburbs have this bland middle ground between both. ⚖️ you’re a long drive away from the city and an equally long drive away from national parks or stunning nature. you’re just stuck in the suburbs with nothing new to do.

this is a great environment for families and kids. that hustle and bustle of the city or isolation of nature isn’t good for development. but now that i’ve entered a new chapter of my life, i thrive in the autonomy of doing something new out in the world without having to chalk it into a plan a week in advance.

back home i would have to plan out a day in toronto 2 weeks in advance. here, i’ve been able to go skydiving literally 2 hours after deciding to go. the suburbs are like a box that i have grown out of. 📦️ 

sf is my perfect mix of a location for where i’m at in my life right now — within the hustle and innovation, yet still right by mountains, the coast and beautiful nature.

are you a city person? suburban? nature?

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