I have never admitted this out loud before and it still feels strange to even type it. I poured skunk tincture all along my neighbors windows because I desperately needed peace. I know it sounds extreme. I know it sounds petty. I also know it came from a place of exhaustion, stress, resentment and this slow burning anger that had been growing for months. Their noise was ruining my life and I felt like I was losing my sanity one sleepless night at a time.

Since you loved this post, you might enjoy these too:
• Finding Solace in the Quiet: When Life Falls Apart, Rebuilding Begins
• The Unspoken Truth: A High-Stakes Entrepreneur's Confession of Financial Fragility, Fearless Resilience, and the Unrelenting Pursuit of Purpose
• Silent Reset: Breaking Free from the Guilt of Setting Boundaries
• From Soft Start to Spiraling Down: Breaking Free from the Cycle of Addiction


I had tried everything to handle it the right way. I talked to them more than once and explained that my boyfriend and I work at a coffee shop and bakery and our shifts start before the sun comes up. I even brought them treats that I baked myself and tried to approach it with kindness. I kept hoping they would understand or at least try to meet us halfway, but they did not care at all. They opened their windows every single day and blasted music for hours. They yelled across rooms like they were outside at a festival.

Their conversations were so loud that with my windows closed I knew every detail of their personal lives. I knew when their mom visited, when their boyfriends were ignoring them, when they had drama with friends and even when they got their nails done. I felt like I was being forced into their lives and it made me feel trapped in my own home.

I tried masking the noise with music, fans, white noise, television, anything I thought might drown it out. It felt like they knew exactly when I turned on my own sound and they always pushed back with something louder. When being polite did not work I tried going through the proper channels. I talked to the landlord. I made noise complaints. Every time they were confronted they got sneakier and somehow even louder. Eventually it stopped feeling accidental.

They started doing things on purpose, like placing their speakers in the window or banging on the walls. Even though our houses were not connected, the ten feet of space between us did nothing to protect my peace. I was tired all the time. I could not relax in my own space. I was getting sent home from work because my lack of sleep was physically obvious. I felt depressed, anxious and lost. I kept telling myself I needed a solution before I completely broke down.

Whenever I told people what I was going through they always joked about revenge ideas. None of them stuck with me the way the skunk tincture did. It was the first idea that made my whole body say yes. I ordered a bottle from Amazon and felt nervous the entire time. One morning before work I finally did it. I poured the entire bottle along the side of their house, right under the windows they always kept open. The smell was so strong that I was afraid it might cling to me and make my coworkers think I had terrible hygiene. Somehow it did not.

A few hours later I got a notification from the camera pointed between the houses. One of the girls was walking up and down the sidewalk spraying Lysol on the rocks like she was trying to fight off a demon. Then more of them came out. One pulled off the window screen and wiped everything down. A maintenance guy showed up next. Then the gas company arrived and that is when guilt finally punched me in the chest. I felt sick watching it all. For a moment I thought I had gone way too far. I thought someone might trace it back to me and I imagined dealing with the humiliation and anxiety that would follow. They never confronted me and I do not think they ever suspected anything.

What shocked me the most was what happened afterward. For the next two months those windows never opened again. I barely heard a single sound from their house. For the first time in forever I slept peacefully. My home felt calm and safe again. I hate admitting that it worked and I hate admitting how relieved I felt, but it truly changed everything. Maybe it was wrong. Maybe it was petty. But at that point I was drowning and this silly little bottle of skunk tincture gave me my life back.

Posts you may like too:
• Finding Solace in the Quiet: When Life Falls Apart, Rebuilding Begins
• The Unspoken Truth: A High-Stakes Entrepreneur's Confession of Financial Fragility, Fearless Resilience, and the Unrelenting Pursuit of Purpose
• Silent Reset: Breaking Free from the Guilt of Setting Boundaries
• From Soft Start to Spiraling Down: Breaking Free from the Cycle of Addiction
• Finding Solace in the Noise: My Secret to Calm in a Chaotic World
• From Chaos to Quiet: The Unexpected Power of Non-Linear Healing
• When Silence Speaks: Uncovering the Non-Linear Path to Healing
• Moments of Quiet: When Life's Chaos Screeches to a Halt and You're Left to Reflect
• Walking Without a Map: How Embracing the Unknown Can Clear Your Mind and Find Solace in the Everyday
• From Shattered to Whole: The Power of Mindful Breathing After Life's Crumbling Moments