Slow city…. Whoooooa!
We recently left the capital city of Warsaw (after living there for 3 years) to move to the smaller city of Radom, about an hour away.
As one of my peers here mentioned ‘That’s an unusual migration choice!’.
Part of what attracted my husband and I to relocating is that it is a smaller city (we could settle in an even smaller city in the future).
I also knew it had a ‘slower pace’ but am only now really experiencing how that feels as a resident.
And I love it.
Yesterday as I sat at a cafe with my daughter, a founder of a dynamic local NGO (who had recently moved here from Kraków) and a local artist also eager to collaborate, we reflected how we deeply appreciate the slowness of the city.
Of course, for some people, that slowness might equate to ‘boring’, but we reflected, for us as busy and ‘hyper-minded’ individuals, the slowness of the city is actually an ideal calming environment for our energy as well as activities.
It’s convenient that the capital is just an hour train ride away, but our life for now is firmly here.
Maybe for people who crave bustle, ‘being seen’ or simply more populated public spaces & loads of options, this wouldn’t be a first choice. But for us, it’s a good fit right now.
Earlier this year, when we were at the Open House of the school my kids will go to, there was a fellow mum there, from England. We got to chatting- she had moved from Warsaw to Radom too. ‘It’s a great little city,’ she remarked.
I took note. At that point, I had heard largely stigmatised comments, so I was pleased to hear her positive remarks. I had kept my mind open and glad I did. I also had some Radom locals and other transplants give me a warm and fantastic introduction to the city.
As I reflected on all this yesterday, we were in Center City where sound checks were going on for a concert later that evening, many kids were cycling around, couples, families & friends milling about, but it all felt so chill.
Who is passionate about slow cities, not just for visiting and leisure but also daily life?
