On the move / moving on

I am currently in Rochester, MN, home of the "WFMC" (World-Famous Mayo Clinic as we jokingly call it) and my med school alma mater. On Friday, I flew down to MPLS/St Paul ("The cities") from Grand Forks. I guess I didn't have the best airport-timing as I arrived there about 50 minutes before my flight left, with no pre-printed boarding pass and one bag still to check (with another $25 to pay... grr... I have two more flight legs on this trip before I return to CA! And if you think THAT is bad, as I definitely do, read about possible future and outrageous fees for using the restroom or bringing carry-on baggage here). Although some might think this arrival interval was no big deal, I tend to be a bit more conservative and anxious before flights, so this might have been the closest I have ever cut it; however, I was thankful that I was at GFK, which has a total of 2 gates. The flight, which lasted less than 1 hour, was uneventful and, despite plenty of sleep and a good book (now onto Harlan Coben's Long Lost), I was, again in typical fashion, unable to keep my eyes open for more than 10 minutes. I seriously do not know what my problem is.

In Minneapolis, my bag was already waiting for me at baggage claim (maybe the $25 checking fee pays for exceptional baggage-claim-delivery service?) and I then proceeded to a very smooth car-rental process at Alamo where (after declining the "upgrade" ["No, thank you, I just want your cheapest car, even if it doesn't have power windows" and gas-prepay options ["No, thank you, I can fill up myself before returning it"]), I got to hand-pick my "economy" vehicle. There were four with their trunks open. I went for the first, red one (it happens to be a Corolla but I did not know this when I picked it :)). And lucky I was! It smells brand new, and had just 90 miles on it when I drove it out of there. I kind of like driving a flashy red car :) Now as long as I (a prius-driver convert) can remember to put the keys in and take them out of the ignition and avoid cracking a window (happened on a previous rental, almost making me get insurance), I will be good!

I apologize for the lack of pictures in this post. I haven't been very good about photos on this trip-- I think I took one of my grandma and me, none when I visited Amy, Richard, Jacky, and Derek in Fargo, and just a few others today, but I will post some once I can successfully steal from the blogs of my more photo-on-top-of-things friends. Last night, Lesley and David had friends over for a potluck dinner to catch up. I saw Ebby, Ronnie, and the Ray kids who have grown tremendously (Veronica is graduating HS this year!), Kristen and Brandon, as well as Rachel and Kaia (we missed Hans who was on call for OB anesthesia). We chatted just as if no time had gone by since I left in 2007. I so appreciate these wonderful people who were such a big part of my life just 3 years ago when I was still living here. And who don't think it's weird to go to bed at 9 p.m. or to rescue leftovers (Lesley is the only person I know who takes this to the same extreme as I do! Love her!) :)

Today, Rachel and Kristen hosted a baby shower for Lesley, who is now nearing the end of her peds residency, and also 34 weeks pregnant! There was awesome food, great fellowship (with about 9 other "ortho" wives!!! I couldn't believe how outnumbered I was, some of whom have little ones, and 3 others who are currently expecting!), and Lesley got some much needed and practical gifts. We can't wait for the arrival of Baby Boy Jones; Les and David are going to be such awesome parents!

It is weird being here in Rochester. I'm staying with Lesley and David at their house which they bought after med school (we miss the Roch Towers but this is way cooler!). It is weird driving around this town which was my home for 4 years. Much is the same, but there are new restaurants and a lot of new housing developments now popping up. Today, we stepped into the med school "LRC" (learning resource center) which was the location of much studying and computer-using between classes, which brought back many memories.

Being here is very bittersweet. While Rochester was not the best fit of a town for me (very homogenous, very "married," very conservative, very cold, and not the most exciting of places to live) and, 3 years ago, I couldn't really wait to move somewhere new, there are certainly things that I really miss. I miss living 2 blocks from the med school and downtown clinics and spending 10 minutes (albeit sometimes a very cold 10 minutes) walking there. I miss the free and super gym (which has gotten even more super since I left, although I haven't seen it myself). I miss playing music and singing in church, and the Thursday night Beyond Eden Bible study. However, what I miss the most is the kindness and friendliness of all the people here, and the lasting friendships I made.

Being with the girls today at the shower made me really miss having a "community" of close friends with whom to share everyday life. I've met great people in residency, but conflicting and strenuous schedules have really precluded the kind of closeness and connections with people that I'd felt in the past. I don't think I ever had so many great friends in such close proximity as when I was in med school here. I shed a lot of tears here in Rochester for various reasons but never had better support from my wonderful classmates here. After med school, a few stayed on here at Mayo, but most of them scattered across the country for residency- Boston, Florida, Arizona, etc. I've gotten to see most of them at one point or another during the past 3 years-- I saw the Kits in Florida twice (before they leave for Turkey in a few months!) and at Ajit's wedding last May, Les and David and Rachel/Hans here in Rochester (last time was 2 years ago for Hans and Rachel's wedding), Nicole in Baltimore intern year, Tia/Rob in Boston during vacation 2nd year, Erin several times for skiing and hiking given that she's just in Palo Alto, and Molly in SLC and in San Diego over Labor Day. I will be visiting Natasha in Cleveland next week. I would say that's not bad considering we are all residents. However, it's just not the same.

We aren't all getting together for leftovers-potlucks and Mexican Trains, frisbee at Soldier's Field, or Idol at the Towers. I miss it. I realize that I have moved about nine times since I was born-- from NY to Nepal, to Pakistan, Virginia, then Bangkok, Nepal again, McLean for HS, Richmond, Rochester, and now Sacramento. I have never lived anywhere longer than 4 years. And while I love traveling and love living in and experiencing new places, the moving is starting to wear on me quite a bit, mostly emotionally.

I tend to get very attached to people. It's pretty devastating for me when I see people move away. And the thing (not the packing, nor the boxes and driving) which I hate the most about moving is leaving special friends (and family). While I definitely make quite an effort to keep in touch with family and friends from all walks of life, via email, blogs, phone (occasionally :)), now facebook (I am quite addicted), etc., I just miss being with them, physically and in the same town. I know that you meet people everywhere you go and I'm sure I will continue to meet many more wonderful people in my lifetime, but sometimes I kind of want to freeze time and capture all of my best friends and keep all my family in one place. Being quite an introvert, sometimes I don't want to make new friends and just want to keep the old and be around those who know you well and your history. While it's great to jet-set and visit people across the country and across the world, somedays, and more and more now that I'm "older," I wish I were finally just good and settled. I wonder when that will be.

Starting in a few months, I will have to start figuring out where I will took to get a job once residency is over next June. I don't see myself on the East coast, where I went to HS and college and where my parents, godparents, and sister are. I don't see myself in Minnesota, although I love visiting with my family here and friends from school and it is so comforting to be around people who know you so well. I think I am becoming a California (or at least a west coast) girl, although this is not set in stone and I could probably be convinced to become a resident of another state. Come this summer/fall, I will, yet again, be caught in the struggle of whether it is time to "try something new" or whether should stick around in Sacramento, which is where my new friends are and which has definitely become home in the past 3 years. Is it time to move again? Only time will tell.