On summer afternoons in Madrid, I often walk into a café—sometimes with a friend, sometimes with my laptop, a book, or a half-finished essay. Recently the streets below my apartment have been full of festival crowds: smoke rising from grills, punk bands playing on small stages, people holding glasses of wine without tables, moving to music from shop doors.

When the heat goes down, I might jog through the warm night air to a 24-hour supermarket, avoiding the strong midday sun. In winter, I stay home, sit in the sunny corner of my sofa, and read until the sunlight is gone.Living in the center means I can enjoy this comfort all year, with a café always nearby and streets that never feel empty.

I’ve also lived the opposite—years in a quiet neighborhood, knowing every path in the only park, and joining gatherings often meant going to the lively parts of the city. The quiet was nice, but it could also feel heavy. I also have stayed in temporary rooms, carrying a small speaker to make the space feels like home—while missing the things I could not take: my kitchen, my Roland piano, and the bright, comfortable light of a studio lamp.

My lease ends soon. Stay in the center, move somewhere quieter, or try a nomadic life? The choice waits like a packed bag by the door, ready to follow whichever life I choose.

edited by ChatGPT 5