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I’ve always considered myself a nomad in a few ways. From my frequent travel adventures to relocating to Philadelphia on a whim in 2012, the idea of packing up and moving has never been a big deal. Unlike many of my med school colleagues, I applied far and wide to residency programs all over the country and I was totally okay with that. Fast forward to a few months later where I’m now packing up my life and getting ready to move from Philadelphia to New Orleans, the anxiety set in big time. If I could sum it up, I would simply say DON’T DO IT – kidding, not really, but there’s definitely a lot that goes into moving across the country and I don’t think I was mentally prepared for it.
1) The Good – Relocating often comes with very exciting prospects and opportunities. After living in the same city for an extended period of time, it’s easy to get stuck in the same routine and relocation can be a chance to find new job opportunities, explore a new city, make new friends, and start over with a clean slate. From never-ending festivals and delicious Southern cuisine to training with a great residency program, spending the next 4 years in New Orleans was too good to pass up.
2) The Bad – The packing and moving process was extremely painful. Nothing induces a panic attack faster than standing in your 1 bed/1 bath apartment and realizing you have to fit everything into your 4-door sedan. The options of renting a U-Haul and shipping my items and car were VERY expensive so I made the decision to drive my car from Philly to New Orleans. While painfully stuffing my items into moving bags and throwing many items away, I realized that older I got, the more household items I had accrued. When I moved to Philly, the process was so easy. I stuffed my clothes and shoes into two suitcases and I was on my merry way. Now that I’m older and built a mini-life in Philly, it was much harder to pack up and leave.
3) The Very Ugly – The cost, my oh my! I’ve spent wayyy more money during this relocation process than I could have imagined. I was able to bring with me some essential items such as clothes, shoes, and electronics but everything else was left behind. Even though I was trying to spend carefully once I got to New Orleans, a lot of expenses have been inevitable and essential to living comfortably. I’ve had to repurchase many household items including furniture, bedding, spoons, even sugar and salt. During the first couple weeks, I swiped my credit card so much, I’m convinced there’s now a permanent indentation on it. As the weeks go by, the spending decreases, stress lessens, and things level out.
For the college grads, now is the time to relocate if you’re considering it. For those applying to residency programs, consider all the factors that go into relocating – physical stress, emotional stress, and associated expenses – and don’t make the move unless you can truly handle it. Even though the relocating experience has thrown me for a loop, I am excited to begin this next phase of life in NOLA and my door is always open for you all to visit!
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