Chicago's city life suited Anna Johnson, who lived downtown for about 10 years, working as a digital producer at an advertising agency. But when the pandemic dragged on beyond a few weeks and the glitzy city closed its doors, the independent life became too quiet.
"I started to feel really lonely in my apartment by myself, and I just kind of felt trapped," Johnson says.
She decided in June to move back in with her parents who live about two hours away from the city in Rockford, Ill. Johnson says the move has been good for her, mentally and also financially.