I've been thinking a lot lately about city life vs country living. The reason Jeffery and I moved to San Francisco five years ago (besides going to school) was that we wanted to live in a place where we would be surrounded by intelligent, hardworking, and like-minded individuals, and we wanted to experience the diversity and opportunities that a city provides. We also didn't want to have to drive to school or work, and San Francisco is one of the only cities in California where that's possible.

I came across this photo of myself at two and a half years old in my backyard. I grew up in the country, with a big yard and garden surrounding the house, a greenbelt to the west, and a forest on either side. There was a small creek just down the hill where my brother Austin and I would catch bugs and build forts and play complex imaginary games. There were endless trees to climb and deer trails where we rode bikes and even a small airport where we raced down the runway. It was years before I realized that not everyone had an airport in their neighborhood.

Growing up in the country had a huge impact on my development. I have a vast appreciation for the natural word. It made me a romantic.

And growing up in a small town creates this drive to "get out" and make something of oneself and not get strung out on drugs or pregnant at 16.

The problem with living in the city is though there are more of those like-minded, intelligent, hardworking individuals, there are also more losers strung out on drugs than there are in the country. Or else there are more out in the open getting in fights and asking for money.

So I think we will eventually settle in the country. I want my pets and adorable children (and they will be adorable) to have a big back yard full of flowers to smell, vegetables to eat, and trees to climb. And I want to hang my clothes on a clothesline and have a compost pile. Is it weird that I fantasize about composting?