There’s a big reason that I’ve lived in the same apartment in New York City for eight years — I cannot stand real estate hunting. Between the run-down cells that are passed off as livable and the creepy people involved in the entire process, I cringe when I think about having to pound the pavement looking for an apartment. Thus, my upcoming move to Boston has had quite an effect on my blood pressure as of late; Shannon can attest to the fact that all it’s taken over the past few weeks to get me riled up was an innocuous question from a friend about whether or not I’d yet found a place to live. All that being said, though, I have to start my fellowship on July 1st, so after putting the process off as long as possible, I came up to Boston late last night (straight out of an ER shift) so that I could get started. Thus, I couldn’t be happier that by 10 AM this morning, I was done — I now have a Boston apartment.

The way that it all worked out so nicely is a good story. One of my old friends — someone who I met in the fourth grade, who was on the debate team with me in high school, and who may get credit for being the first to sit me down in front of a computer — is now a lawyer in Boston. He’s lived in the same apartment for the past eight years, and nearly every time I’ve come up here, I’ve stayed in his place. It’s a nice apartment, with three bedrooms, big living and dining rooms, a gargantuan kitchen, a study, and an outdoor patio off the front of the house. The last time I came up, he mentioned that he and his girlfriend were closing on a house, and it turns out that not only did they do so, but he’ll be moving out of his apartment just as I’m going to be moving to Boston. His apartment is perfect for so many reasons — it’s close to the hospital (about 5 minutes from the hospital by car, two T stops away by train, and within walking/rollerblading distance if I’m feeling ambitious), it’s big, it’s on a private street, and most importantly, it’s owned by a great guy who is willing to do the precious few things that I’d want done before I were to move in. This morning, he and I walked through the apartment verifying everything that he’d do to get the place ready, and ten minutes later, the deal was sealed with a handshake (and later, with a lease that was waiting for me when I got back from the movies tonight).

I feel like a huge load has been lifted off of my shoulders; it wasn’t until tonight that I felt completely ready to move to Boston, and start this next chapter of my life. Now, to get through the packing and unpacking process…