While living in the Costa Rican casita, I had the luxury of a thick tropical forest just outside the house. I could hear all the sounds of nature from within the house, because its design was quite open. Because the casita was located in the middle elevation of a canyon, sound echoed through the hills and I could hear noises from houses across the canyon or from the town a kilometer away. Other noises included loud Latin music, dogs barking at passersby, fireworks that boomed like canons at any time of day, and occasionally the sound buses or trucks driving through the main street of the town would echo down through the canyon. At 5:45 am and 6:15 in the morning there were jets that flew over the casita on their approach to the San Jose airport 20 minutes away. Sometimes the sound of the jets would wake me.
The location where I have been staying in the SF Bay area since I have returned to the United States is much different. To begin with, it is more populated. My friend's apartment is on a busy street. Traffic noise is constant all day. It is especially loud if you want to open the windows for fresh air. The bedroom of the apartment is also located above the boiler room of the building. The vibration is especially disturbing and I do not feel as though I have slept soundly since being here. I have to wear ear plugs to get to sleep. I notice the sound of birds and squirrels outside a few times a week.
Now over 50% of the worlds population live in urban areas. Many of these urban dwellers have never known or have long forgotten the experience of living so close to nature. In Costa Rica, the majority of the evening sounds came from nature. It was peaceful. In contrast, the experience being back in the city has been a shock to my system. Overall, I have much greater awareness of noise pollution than I had before. I know that I need to make a conscious effort to reduce my personal exposure to the urban noise, and bring myself closer to nature again. I am thankful for the new awareness.
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