Yesterday, I visited my friend on her farm.

Yes, that’s right, a farm. I have friends who own farms now. God, I feel like an adult.

I can’t even fathom owning a farm, let alone one that makes you feel like you’re at Green Gables. I have a hard enough time dealing with the fact that the tiny patch of dirt in front of my porch is growing plants (albeit poorly); but just imagine having several acres of land, with crops and ponds and tractors. I mean, we actually sat on the porch in the evening and husked corn that was pulled straight from the garden. You can’t get a more farm-like moment than that (well, you probably can, but let me have this one thing).

Living in a city often prevents me from having these kinds of moments. In the city, I don’t get as much fresh, country air, and I don’t get to sit on my front porch and watch the mist roll over the mountains as a flock of starlings dances its greeting to the day. I don’t have a car, so it’s hard to disappear into nature whenever I desire. If I want to go hiking or camping, I have to convince friends with cars to go with me, and walking along the river can only be so nurturing when there’s that constant sound of cars rushing by on the street adjacent. And living in a city also means missing out on stargazing — Harrisburg’s cityscape isn’t even that bright, but it still overpowers the sky.

Needless to say, there are times when I wish I could live out in the countryside. But there are also times when I’m really glad I live in the city. Like when I remember I don’t need a car to get to work — I can walk there, and virtually anywhere else that I need to go on a daily basis. I also thoroughly enjoy being so close to so many people, and to so many social landmarks. Cities are a constant reservoir of entertainment and social gatherings. Luckily, Harrisburg is small enough that the social scene isn’t overwhelming — which I can only imagine is the case in places like New York — but it isn’t small enough that you can’t find this scene if you put in the effort to connect with people.

But I still long for the countryside every once in a while. Dipping my toes into the “other world” creates some sort of balance inside of me, proving that I could never be a full-fledged city girl. Or a country girl, for that matter. Yesterday threw in a little yin to satisfy the yang and soothe my soul, but I do need both. Sometimes a weekend trip or a day trip here and there is all I need to quench that thirst. Of course, I won’t deny that sometimes I need a lot more than a weekend, but for now, I am perfectly content.