My wife and I live in a house just south of Atlanta Station. It’s in a neighborhood called Home Park. We’ve been here for almost three years. The street stays pretty quiet. Although some use it as a cut-through, traffic is typically moderate. Cars line the street, causing some congestion—some cars have to pull to the side to allow others to pass. House all around us are set up as roommate situations—Georgia Tech students and young professionals. We live in and around so much liveliness but have had a calm and enjoyable experience.

My wife loves to decorate, and I let her take the reigns on these endeavors. That’s a good thing, because our home is beautiful. A typical night you might find us staying in, cooking dinner, and watching something relaxing on TV (for her—some show about house renovations, for me—probably baseball). Other nights, we might go out for dinner and come back early to our home. Although we feel so comfortable here, it’s nice to get out to the nearby restaurants.

I love to sit on our front porch. From here, I can hear neighbors watching games or having small parties—laughing and cheering and talking. I watch the passersby drive past our home, often too fast, and normally give a small gesture—a nod or wave. Being outside on the porch at night is one of my favorite times. It allows me to relax and recharge and breath in the city that we live in, around, and under. I can look up and see buildings touching the sky—Wells Fargo, office buildings. I can look to the south and see the neons of the Coca-Cola factory and to the north and see the neons of the movie theatre at Atlantic Station.

We’ve loved being here, in this house, for the past three years. It has been meaningful for my wife and me. We have celebrated two wedding anniversaries, one graduation from a master’s program, two acceptances into other graduate programs, new jobs, and new friends in this house. Soon, we will have to move on. Our home has been put on the real estate market to be sold by our landlord. Next month, we will move. We will begin to build the same feeling of home in another rental property not far away. With time, we will feel a similar calm, ease, and peace that we’ve felt here.