A topic that often comes up in conversation is the contrast between living downtown rather than in the suburbs or countryside. The vast majority of people I work with live in the second two categories, few — if any — live anywhere near the city centre.

Last night I was reminded of something a friend said years ago. He’s a chef who worked at a high-end restaurant in Whistler, and living in absolute pristine surroundings — a stark contrast to the life he left behind in Vancouver.

But when asked about his life there, the comment that sticks is “I miss the sirens.”

This stunned me. At the time I was living in suburbia. The idea of living downtown seemed noisy and chaotic. And while I loved that chaos while travelling, I couldn’t imagine living in it.

Years later, I completely relate. As I went to bed last night, the whine of a distant siren flowed through the open windows. It was a calming sound, oddly comforting. The familiar sound, though signalling some unfortunate event, was like a soothing lullaby.

As strange as this may seem, the sounds of the city have become familiar, a reminder that I’m home.