Big Changes: Getting Ready to Move to the Caribbean
The count down has officially begun, I have only 11 more days in the city I’ve called home for the last 4 years!! My immigration documents have all been submitted and tuition has been paid…the last order of business to worry about is my upcoming anatomy/physiology final. July has been such a whirlwind of ups and downs - some days I’m ecstatic to start the next chapter of my life while others I feel so emotionally sensitive that I can barely keep it together at a dinner table with friends.
I have to say, the biggest struggle of traveling the continent for school is saying goodbye to loved ones. Sadly, solid adult friendships are hard to come by and when you finally settle down and create them, it’s a heart breaker to move on. I already did it once, leaving Vancouver and all my high school friends behind, and now I’m doing it again, leaving my university friends behind. And I’ll do it again, when I finish the first half of medicine on the island, again when I leave Chicago after graduating, and again if I move out of the city in which I complete my residency. No matter where I live at this point, there will always people I care about that I won’t be able to hang out with at a moments notice. I always knew that I wanted to travel and live in multiple cities before settling down, but I’ve realized that with every perk there comes a loss. Having to be able to pack my life up into 2 suitcases and 2 carry-on bags for the last and next 4+ years isn’t the most ideal. However, the downsides are overshadowed by the “fresh start” feeling and knowing that there are new and amazing friendships to be made. (Also, if the apocalypse ever actually happened, I would be good to go with my life in bags in a matter of minutes…ha).
Speaking of fresh starts, this month I’ve been thinking a lot about how easy it is to forget what those are like. I mean, at this age most people have only experienced it a few times - moving from elementary to high school and from high school to university or a job. It’s such a refreshing feeling, but also anxiety inducing, intimidating and often exhausting. I’ve realized that making friends is fun for about…20 years of your life (give or take a few). After that it becomes unnecessarily stressful and confusing. Despite this, the personal growth I’ve experienced from forcing myself into uncomfortable social situations is immeasurable. Now that I’m starting a new chapter of life, all those feelings I felt 4 years ago before starting university have come crashing back.
Anyway, I could babble on about that for ages, but I’ll cap it off with some info on my current state of affairs. I’m trying to make the best of my last 11 days by balancing my time appropriately. I need to get in lots of quality downtime with the besties, ship some boxes of winter clothes home, study and complete this 50%-er, sell my furniture, and pack. Part of me wants it to all be over and done with so I can relax, yet the sooner it’s over, the sooner I have to say goodbye to everyone I care about. It’s a bit of a lose-lose and also a win-win, because I know good things are coming either way. Now to see if I can memorize the names, placement, and function of all the spinal nerves!
K
Originally published 21/07/2014
