This post is a long time coming, and I mean a longggg time coming. So long I don’t really remember when we started thinking about, planning, or working toward it. I do remember junior-year-of-college Chris starting to doubt his plan of going to law school. I remember him feeling worried about a desk job, and feeling trapped. I remember a particular walk along Battery Park City on a cool evening where I asked him if he had ever thought about going into medicine. He said it was strange I should bring it up—our Dean of Students had recently asked him the same thing. To my great surprise—and I think his too—we both took the suggestion seriously, and started researching options. In the months that followed there were many serious talks about whether or not med school was doable at such a late point. Because he was so close to graduation and had never planned to go, med school would require not only taking the MCAT but also 2 years worth of extra classes (all the sciences Chris didn’t take in college). After much prayer, and countless talks with parents and friends, we decided to go for it. My dad, an ER doc, was our constant companion, and was able to help us navigate the many requirements needed for a successful application. Chris was even able to do his clinical hours in the ER where my dad works. We aren’t quite at the end of the road yet. Chris will finish his last semester of pre-requisite classes at the end of April and is slated to take the MCAT on June 18th, after which he will begin the official application process. But, we made a huge step forward this weekend! After a successful house-hunting trip in North Carolina we can say that we are officially moving to Chapel Hill in May!!! We signed a lease on this lovely little townhouse in a great location of Chapel Hill, and we could not be more excited. When we started our deep dive into medical school research it became pretty clear to us that while there were great schools across the country, we wanted to stay close to the East Coast and family. We also knew that we wanted to be in a small town rather than a big city; as much as we love New York, it’s time for a change! And, of course, Chris wants to get into a really good program. Those preferences basically narrowed it down to Virginia and North Carolina schools. There are a couple of really great options in N.C.(Duke, East Carolina, Wake Forest), apart from our top choice, UNC Chapel Hill. Even though Chris hasn’t been accepted yet, we really feel God moving us toward Chapel Hill this year. We know He has a plan for the perfect school for us. In the meantime, we are going to move to the area we love, establish N.C. residency (yay for cheaper schooling cost!), and trust the rest to Him. Risky? Maybe a little. But not really. The worst that could happen would be a move to a better place in a year, having saved money in 2016 by not living in the New York City metropolitan area. Exciting? So, so exciting. Last night as we drove down Franklin Street on our way to the Mediterranean Deli (which has changed our lives; so much delicious), we talked about how strangely comfortable we felt here. Like this is where we are supposed to be. Compared to looking for apartments in New York, this past weekend was a joy. After driving down late Thursday evening, we grabbed coffee Friday on the way to our first appointment of the day: a 10:00am total let down. But our spirits were high. We saw several apartment complexes, had lunch at a Mexican place, and showed up to our 4:30 appointment with our front-runner: the two bedroom townhome in a wooded setting about 10 minutes from downtown. It had everything we were looking for and more. The landlord was accommodating, jolly, and obviously cared for the home. It took about 30 minutes to decide on the place while lounging on the UNC quad sipping iced tea. And that was it. We had a celebratory dinner at a sushi place, and the landlord swung by our hotel the next morning so we could all sign the lease. That left us Saturday to chill out and explore the area. This included mural hunting, antique shopping, eating at cafes, cartoon watching, gym exploring, tulips, sweet tea, baklava, biscuits, and lots and lots of walking around our new town. It’s a little surreal to be leaving our New York. I’m sure there will be lots of tears and some second-guessing. But we feel confident that this new stage will be worth it. We love that Chapel Hill has a small town feel combined the conveniences of a thriving University town. And we love that this thing Chris has been working for is finally coming to fruition! Thank you to everyone who has supported, prayed for, and encouraged us these past few years. You have helped make this new beginning possible!
10 Comments
Aunt Dana
3/20/2016 08:57:05 pm
We love that you're coming to North Carolina! We can meet for visits. Love you both! ❤️
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Sarah
3/29/2016 10:19:11 pm
We can't wait. We will definitely have to visit the High Point area soon!
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Grandpa and Grandma B
3/20/2016 11:11:06 pm
So happy for you! Looks like a good place to call home......
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Sarah
3/29/2016 10:17:45 pm
Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!! We loved it and think it will be the perfect next home for us. Miss you both!
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Jon B
3/21/2016 01:11:09 am
That's awesome news. Proud of you!!
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Sarah
3/29/2016 10:18:26 pm
Exciting times! Thanks, Uncle Jonio!
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Kendyl
3/21/2016 08:04:50 am
Loved reading this & discovering your blog. Will definitely look forward to your writings!
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Sarah
3/29/2016 10:16:24 pm
Oh, I'm so glad! Thanks for reading along with me!
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Abbi
3/24/2016 09:37:32 am
How exciting!! We're so excited that you're moving so close by! I hope we're able to visit each other often during this stage of your journey!!
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Sarah
3/29/2016 10:16:51 pm
We would love, love, love to see you guys! <3
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Authorwife to a med student and mama to three under three, seeking the joyful and learning to live by faith. Find me on Instagram and Pinterest or shoot me an email. I'd love to hear from you!
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