wrote this comment for a comm so might as well xpost- so happy since moving at the beginning of July
Ahhh this post is perfect timing I've been constantly thinking to myself 'thank god I made the right decision to be brave and move.' Last winter it was hard to decide whether to go back home to Seattle or head even further away to pursue a second year of post-grad training. I had a lot of reservations because the past year was my first time living away from home and I was unhappy being in an agricultural part of California, working with people I didn't really fit in with because I felt pressured to have a prestigious healthcare system on my resume, having to be apart from my bf, getting a lot of criticism from my parents who are waiting for me to start making a ~real salary, etc. I told my bf if he wasn't willing to do long-distance for another year then I'd move back, but luckily he was really supportive and said that he didn't want me to feel like our relationship was limiting my career aspirations and that if I applied he would wait for me. Anyway I wasn't sure if I could ever love living someplace besides Seattle but I really like being in Kansas City! (Or really it is just a relief to live somewhere that is not a homogeneous, culture-less void again.) I got a furnished studio loft and here are some pictures:
Thought I knew what thrifting was but apparently I was mistaken- the framed pictures were $8 and $4 at the farmer's market/community yard sale wow I guess I have never seen second-hand prices without a huge markup on the west coast. Also there is an ugly tv box partition in the first picture because I started fostering cats for the humane society again! The queen is really young they think she got pregnant in her first heat. =( But she's doing a great job with her kittens and my boss's 4-year-old daughter is going to pick out which one she wants to adopt tomorrow. :3
If I'd gone back to Seattle I would've thought for the rest of my life that I can't enjoy living anywhere else, then the relief of being home would be quickly overshadowed by working a clinical job that's a bad fit for me. Right now I'm getting specialized training in informatics/analytics that will allow me to work remotely after next summer and I think I finally understand what people mean when they say they love their job, my boss is a great lady who IMs me throughout the day and we go out for coffee/lunch runs together, people at the office are generally amazed that I can make things look good in Sharepoint/Excel/Word and facilitate meetings, the work culture is much more relaxed and no one expects me to work 10+ hour days chart reviewing until I'm cross-eyed. There's a huge food scene so I'm working my way through BBQ joints, I like that there are arts walks and poetry slams and free museums and despite some gross comments in passing from men ("Is she your type?" ) being one of the few Asians out here hasn't drawn too much negative attention. It's a nice change being so happy, I've become one of those annoying preceptors who encourages all their students to move far away and pursue their calling when giving out unsolicited life advice.
Thought I knew what thrifting was but apparently I was mistaken- the framed pictures were $8 and $4 at the farmer's market/community yard sale wow I guess I have never seen second-hand prices without a huge markup on the west coast. Also there is an ugly tv box partition in the first picture because I started fostering cats for the humane society again! The queen is really young they think she got pregnant in her first heat. =( But she's doing a great job with her kittens and my boss's 4-year-old daughter is going to pick out which one she wants to adopt tomorrow. :3
If I'd gone back to Seattle I would've thought for the rest of my life that I can't enjoy living anywhere else, then the relief of being home would be quickly overshadowed by working a clinical job that's a bad fit for me. Right now I'm getting specialized training in informatics/analytics that will allow me to work remotely after next summer and I think I finally understand what people mean when they say they love their job, my boss is a great lady who IMs me throughout the day and we go out for coffee/lunch runs together, people at the office are generally amazed that I can make things look good in Sharepoint/Excel/Word and facilitate meetings, the work culture is much more relaxed and no one expects me to work 10+ hour days chart reviewing until I'm cross-eyed. There's a huge food scene so I'm working my way through BBQ joints, I like that there are arts walks and poetry slams and free museums and despite some gross comments in passing from men ("Is she your type?" ) being one of the few Asians out here hasn't drawn too much negative attention. It's a nice change being so happy, I've become one of those annoying preceptors who encourages all their students to move far away and pursue their calling when giving out unsolicited life advice.