Yesterday, a good friend of mine (the same one who insisted that I get a running skirt if when I move to New York) left a book for me, along with a note that enthusiastically cheered my anticipated relocation to Manhattan.
The book, New York Detail: A Treasury of Ornamental Splendor, is essentially a picture book. Photographs of architectural details cover the pages. It’s lovely. I’ve overlooked many of these details when I’ve been in New York City in the past. There’s just way too much to see in that city.
I received the official offer for a fellowship position in consult-liaison psychiatry from my first choice today.
It was nice. And a relief.
My friends here in Seattle were all abuzz with excitement—I’ve never received so many e-mails with so many exclamation marks per e-mail in my life. My friends are an enthusiastic, warm, and buoyant bunch. They’re wonderful.
And though I am absolutely tickled to be heading to New York City, I am also sad that I will be leaving my friends in the Pacific Northwest. (… though, admittedly, many of them have already invited themselves to stay with me in New York City. Funny how that happens. “Do you want to sleep in my closet or out on the fire escape?”)
… and, of course, I haven’t left yet.
There’s a lot to do between now and then:
- Just how does one move across the country?
- Should I drive my car to New York City? I’ve always wanted to take a transcontinental road trip. Man, I can’t wait to get rid of my car.
- How much stuff can I sell or give away here before I go?
- I have to pay a hefty sum to get my medical license for New York State.
- I am dreading looking for a place to live in New York City. It seems like a highly aversive process.
- June is going to be a crazy busy month: I’ve got to take my psychiatry board exams, make arrangements for graduation, and move across the country. What am I getting myself into?
On the door of my office is a map of New York City. In October, a friend and I were discussing the different programs in the city. I was scanning the map to point out my top choices for programs.
“Why haven’t you put push pins onto the map?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” I answered. “I figured they wouldn’t stay?”
He laughed at me. “Here—give me some pins. Show me where your first choice is.”
I quickly pointed out the site.
“What color should the pin be?” he asked. I dug through the pin container and found a green pin.
Green is for growth, I thought. I didn’t even come up with that—that’s something a guy I went to medical school with once said. It’s stuck, for whatever reason.
I handed the pin to my friend.
“Green is for ‘go’,” he said as he firmly pushed the pin into the map. “Okay, where’s choice number two?”
He pushed the yellow pin in.
“I see that we are following the ‘traffic light’ model of ranking,” he joked. “And number three?”
I waffled. There were two programs that tied for third. I hesitated before pointing out the location with a clear pin. (I didn’t have a red pin.)
We both then stood back and looked at the map.
“Wow. That green pin really sticks out,” he remarked. “It’s very clear now where you want to go. The yellow pin is less obvious and that clear pin—you can hardly even see it.”
Tomorrow, I shall remove the yellow and clear pins.
Green is now definitely for “go”.
6 Nov 2007 |
Driving cross-country is great, driving anywhere into Manhattan is a horrible, horrible thing … sell your car in Seattle and store/ship your stuff. You won’t need or want a car in NYC. Drive back if you’d like.
Moving cross country is not so bad- there are a number of viable solutions, depending on how much of your stuff you need to bring. Given that you’re moving to New York (where whatever living situation you find will be smaller than Seattle), think about what you really need. Amtrak freight might do you just fine.
Don’t discount Brooklyn for cheaper/bigger/easier living spaces … I don’t know which program you’ve selected but you are going to the best public transit in the States, so you’ll be fine in Brooklyn if you need to be for $$ reasons.
Again, many congratulations!
Comment by pelican | 6 Nov 2007 @ 8:39pm
Congratulations on getting the offer!!!!!!!!!!!11!1one
In all seriousness, the closure (of sorts) must feel pretty good.
Comment by Brock Tice | 6 Nov 2007 @ 9:01pm
CONGRATULATIONS! that is so wonderful and you so deserve it!!
Comment by sarah | 7 Nov 2007 @ 2:15am
I started reading your blog in 2005 when I joined the faculty of a psychiatry dept; previously I had always been in a pharmacology dept (PhD doing basic neuropsychopharmacology research). Reading of your experiences has given me some insight into the life of a psychiatry resident. It has been both enjoyable and informative.
Congratulations on getting into the fellowship program you wanted and good luck with your move to NYC. My daughter is in an MD-PhD program there - not interested in psychiatry though - and has enjoyed living there.
Comment by Jim | 7 Nov 2007 @ 11:17am
Congratulations, Maria. I hope you are able to indeed “grow” during your fellowship. Best of luck to you.
Comment by catherine | 7 Nov 2007 @ 3:42pm
If you stick with the medical metaphor,
Green is for bile
Red is for blood
Clear would be
the humour of phlegm.
Of course there’s a forth
I’ve forgotten.
Don’t know what that does to New York.
My remote memory is from a humid summer day in 1976
And the pervasive smell
and ever present piles
In The Park and on the sidewalk
Of dogshit.
Best wishes.
Just what is a fellowship in “consult-liasion psychiatry”?
I wish more shrinks took the one year fellowship in “Common Sense”
Comment by Dan J Schmidt | 7 Nov 2007 @ 5:12pm
I’m glad he called back and is being honest with you now. I like it when relationships work out.
I have complete faith that you’ll find everything you want, and some things you don’t, and most of what you need, and plenty of things that you didn’t think you needed.
As for the transcontinental road trip, my CA-NY trip left me with this pearl of wisdom, among others: before leaving, ensure that you’re used to driving a car with the steering wheel on the left of the car. If it’s new to you, you’ll slowly swerve all over the highway as you try to keep your normal lane mentality. A highway patrol officer will see this and pull you over because he thinks you are drunk. In all instances, it’s best to simply know how to drive a left-hand-drive vehicle in the first place.
Comment by rowan | 7 Nov 2007 @ 7:40pm
Congratulations!!!
I promise I won’t ask to stay with you when I get over that direction. You will have to find a good breakfast place for me tho. :-D
Comment by Jesse | 8 Nov 2007 @ 10:04am
Wait–you have an office? As a resident? That’s amazing. Either you’re a chief (which I didn’t know) or Nike is sponsoring your hospital. That swoosh looks great on labcoats!
Comment by Justin Slotman | 8 Nov 2007 @ 1:35pm
Congratulations!!!
Driving across country is absolutely fascinating and LONG. Do you get financial help with relocation? If so, then you hire a moving company, pack up, and have them store until you’re ready to move in somewhere. If not, then you hire a uhaul or something if you can’t afford a regular mover. Some jobs will help you find a place to live, even. (A friend of mine at an NYC school got to live in a campus-owned apartment.)
If you drive with a friend, make sure they’re someone you’ll get along with well.
And if you take a northern route, I’ll introduce you to cheese curds along the way if you’d like!
Comment by Bardiac | 8 Nov 2007 @ 7:02pm
Congratulations Maria!
Comment by Sharoda | 8 Nov 2007 @ 7:58pm
Cheese curds are tasty — you should take him up on that offer. I don’t miss the cold of the upper Midwest, but I do miss the fried cheese curds.
Comment by LadyGrey | 9 Nov 2007 @ 4:16pm
NYC is soon to be a better place. Congratulations.
Comment by primer | 10 Nov 2007 @ 8:01am