Settling In

Moving away from home is tough- they don't tell you that when you're a kid. Maybe that's because as kids we want nothing more than to be away from home, and away from our parents. I found that as I got into my mid twenties, I wanted to be closer to my family. I want to take care of my parents as they age, and I want to be there for them. But it is important to also live my own life, and to follow my own passions in life. This meant moving across the country, and leaving behind the people I love. I'm fortunate enough in that I have a brother about 20 miles away, which is close enough for me to have support, while still being forced to make friends in my own area.

Settling into Arizona life has been interesting. I love Minnesota, and never pictured myself ever leaving long-term, despite everyone at work telling me once I experience an Arizona winter, I may never come back to the land of ice and snow. I told them I had to come back, otherwise my mukluks might go to waste.

There are things about Minnesota I will miss:

1.    Thunderstorms. While Arizona has rain, Minnesota has the severe weather and tornadoes that come with the humidity in the air. 
2. The first snowfall. It is so beautiful. And crisp. And clean. And silent. 
3. The four seasons. Despite the six months of winter, we do experience four different seasons. Spring has the greenery and blossoms. Summer has the sunshine and thunderstorms. Fall has the GORGEOUS changing colors, and winter has the beautiful snow-perfect for Christmas.
4. Having a doggy door. While being forced to walk the dogs several times a day is great for my health, being woken up every day at the crack of dawn is going to get old pretty fast.
5. Dunn Brothers and Caribou coffee. Thank God there is Dutch Brothers down here, or I may die.
6. My co-workers at the hospital! And of course, my family and pets.

But there are also things I won't miss:

1. The ENDLESS winter that happens right around January/February, and lasts til at least April.
2. Scraping ice off my car in -20 degrees.
3. Being woken up by people in the house.
4. Having to worry about waking anyone up during my late-night snack binges.

The key thing to surviving a cross-country move is to stay busy and focused on something other than what you miss. One thing that has helped me immensely is having to organize and unpack my things. I find that if I put on some music and start cleaning or arranging things, time flies by. Having to take the dogs out is also something that has been a positive distraction. In addition, having to navigate my new surroundings has kept me busy. I know that once classes start, I will be a slave to medicine, so I am trying to enjoy my free time now while I have it.

Tune in for another post soon! And if there are any topics regarding moving/vet school/grad school you would like to see me write about, leave a comment below!