How long did the speaker and his family live in the downtown apartment?

M: Right! Next, I’ll tell you something about my childhood. Although we have always lived in the same city, my family and I moved a lot since I was old enough to remember. We don’t have our own house. We have always rented them. For eight years, we lived downtown in a large 10-story building with no less than 30 apartments in it. The conditions were very good. But on the other hand, we had a lot of problems. Imagine how difficult and colorless life was for a nine-year-old boy, full of life, having no place to play freely. No sun, no open air, no football games. School’s from 7: 30 to noon and the afternoon’s spent in a room studying, reading, or playing indoor games with a friend or two. No outdoor activities because the streets were too dangerous, and the parents much too afraid to let a young boy go out. How I wished for the weekends to come. I could then burst out with joy and happiness when we went out for a visit to some friends or relatives, a picnic, or even a car ride. I think that’s one of the reasons why I became such a strong nature lover.