A project not to undertake.
For some time now I've had this idea for a project which I label "The Urban Hermit". The concept is to buy an apartment in a city and try to live there with as little contact with others as possible. This would include soundproofing the place so I don't even have to hear those around me.
There are a few flaws with this.
First of all, I HATE cities. I get horribly anxious if I even have to visit one. In the past I've had to stay several days in one, and that was holed up in a motel with the curtains closed while I recovered from eye surgery. It was awful, especially the amount of "noise at any time" which occurred.
Secondly, such an undertaking would be outrageously expensive. I'd have to sell my house for starters, and I doubt my pension income would cover the added costs of living in the High Prices Land that is any city.
Never minding that, I have a wife and two cats so the whole idea is crazy. More or less, I just wondered how effective my engineering skills would prove to be against the onslaught of problems. I mean, let's face it: apartments are built to be cheap and profitable for the developer. As far as owners are concerned ... well screw them, right?
Anyway even if those difficulties could be overcome, I'm not up to doing the work anymore - and I'd probably get sick of the situation in short order and wish to move away again.
But we all have mad ideas now and again, don't we?