I do not have to go far to know how noisy and hectic cities can get because I have experience living in Nigeria particularly in Lagos or Abuja or even a rapidly developing city.
For example, in Lagos, the city rises earlier than the sun. At 4:30 am, there are already people who have gone back to the second round of sleep inside BRT buses. Drivers are quarrelling, conductors screaming "Oshodi! Oshodi!" while hawkers are knocking on your window as they are offering you bottled water, gala or plantain chips. It is one of those cities that pulls you into its beat whether you want it or not but beyond it all I must admit that there is a fascination in that craziness.
There are opportunity in life in cities. You could go out of your house and get a job, there are schools, shopping malls, restaurants, cinemas, hospitals, mechanics, tailors and even churches within a few short distances.
There is never a dull moment in the city, there is either a concert, festival, job fair or even spontaneous drama on the street that can make your day brighter. You have the opportunity to interact with diverse people of various backgrounds and tribes and before you know it you have already learnt how to speak Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa and Pidgin all in unison without even noticing it.
However city life is stressful even when you are not intentionally trying to become stressed. Traffic in itself can transform an easy going individual to a thinker. You may be out of your house at 6 am and not get to work by 9 am just because one truck driver wanted to park in the middle of the road to adjust something. Then we have the sound of generators, cars honking like they are in a competition to see who beats better and the neighbours playing loud music at midnight as though they are auditioning to be DJ of the Year. City life is indeed full of drama.
However, rural life on the other hand is the complete opposite. Whenever I go to the village the first thing I notice is the sweet, gentle and peaceful silence, there is no traffic, no fumes, no rush. Human beings accept you as they have known you for a decade. The kids are running freely bare footed and the air is purer than canned. You do not hear anyone screaming up NEPA as you wake up to the sound of birds, otherwise power is not cut off long enough to make someone scream to celebrate when power comes back.
Life in the rural areas is plain but abundant in aspects that cannot be provided in the city. You will find people working on the fields, fishing, fetching water, cooking with firewood and living the lifestyle that puts them in touch with nature in a deeper way. Food is fresh and you do not have to go and purchase vegetables because somewhere on the outskirts because someone will pluck some farm vegetables for you in goodwill.
Cities can never have such a small community. People keep an eye on one another, talk ill about one another, squabble like siblings and yet they have dinner together when it is evening.
In case income and security were not concerns, I believe my heart would pick the rural regions. It is relaxing to the eye and seems to be therapeutic to the soul and the fact that you can breathe without getting the fumes of exhausts in the air. I visualize myself sitting in a mango tree having a cup of zobo and writing stories as goats quarrel with one another.
I would want a little garden and I would plant tomatoes and peppers and perhaps some chickens that I would give funny names. I see nights full of story telling, new palm wine and laughter which resounds in the night.
However , at the same time, I would still miss some urban things. I would desire a reliable internet, a proper hospital within the neighborhood, a shop at my disposal, and a cinema on days I feel like going into another world. And that is why, perhaps, what I really desire is not so much rural life, but a beautiful combination of both.
A small town which is not too hectic and not too idle. You can find some place where you can have peace and not feel out of civilization. That sounds beautiful but I wish it's possible
As a graduate, I know that most of the jobs are available in cities in Nigeria. Even a distant office will still require that you possess a stable electricity and high speed internet, most of us remain in the city, as we like to be near opportunities. Being a young one, in an attempt to establish a career or start a business or pursue a dream, you realize that the village is as peaceful as it may be, is not going to give you all that you require.
Security is another factor. Certain rural communities are extremely secure, whereas others have difficulties. And most importantly, it is a fear of not being close to hospitals or emergency services. When you get ill in the city you can get a hospital within 10 minutes. You can take miles before you find a doctor in the village.
Ultimately, although my heart is longing to be in a calm rural environment, my feet are rooted in the city, at least, at present. Perhaps one day, when I am old and financially secure and no longer need to put up with noise, I will stuff my bags, purchase a small tract of land in a small village and construct a modest dwelling and then I will be able to begin the beautiful existence I long for.