For a long time I thought these were opposites—that to survive in the city, I had to become like the city. That I had to abandon the simplicity, the faith, the old ways. But I think I was wrong. The best thing isn't to choose one or the other. The best thing is to be a bridge between them. 🌉

The best thing for me is to find the good people in the city—and they exist, I'm starting to see them—and build real friendships based on the same values I had in the village. Honesty, loyalty, respect. These things are timeless. They work anywhere. The city didn't invent lies and emptiness; people did. And people can also choose differently. 💫

I think the best thing for me is to stop being angry at the city and the people in it. Because anger is just pain, and I've been carrying a lot of it. Instead, the best thing is to be an example. To show that you can be happy, that you can be fulfilled, that you don't need to follow every trend or abandon every principle to be successful or accepted. 🙏

The best thing for me is to find my place here without losing myself. Maybe that place is smaller than I thought. Maybe it's just a small circle of real friends, a quiet corner, a church, a routine that gives me peace. That's enough. That's more than enough. 🏡

And maybe by staying true to myself, I can actually help others remember who they were before the city reshaped them. Maybe my example matters. Maybe by refusing to be corrupted, I'm also refusing to let the city completely win. 💚

Is staying true to your roots in a place that wants you to change actually an act of strength? I'm starting to believe it is. 🌿