Time to Make a Move

There’s something powerful about moving. The act of picking up your life, moving it somewhere else, and slowly starting to put the pieces back together.  In one sense, its just stuff.  Your clothes and toiletries, pictures in their frames, coffee mugs awkwardly stacked in their boxes.  But its so much more than that. it’s your comfort, your routine, your order. You have to break through the inertia of your secure, predictable life and remind yourself that change is a good thing.  You’re making moves to make new memories, new experiences, new challenges. 

I began this process of moving almost 4 months when I started packing up my things from my apartment on State St Drive.  I’d decided back in January to participate in TRIP, the Tulane Rural Immersion Program.  I’ll give you more details about the program soon, but in the mean time, I’ve moved myself to Franklin, Louisiana for the next nine months to complete my third year of medical school.  Franklin is home to about 7,000 folks right in the heart of Acadiana, otherwise known as Cajun Country. 

I’m living in adorable little cottage on small plantation owned by my landlord, Mr. Blum.  Mr. Blum, or Gary as he insists I call him, is a perfect southern Gentleman.  When I arrived this afternoon with my car packed to the brim, his two lawnboys moved everything inside as Mr. Blum gave me the 411 on Franklin and the Who’s Who of the area.  Moments later, Ms. Luke knocks on my door to introduce herself.  She just happens to be on the Board of Directors of the local Franklin Foundation Hospital where I’ll be working and also good friends with Gary. When she found out a medical student was moving to Franklin, she immediately began recruiting me to come live and work in Franklin…forever.   Later Mr. Blum drove me into town to introduce me to Ms. Cheryl whom he declared would be my adopted mother while I’m in town.  Ms. Cheryl runs The Franklin House, a bed and breakfast owned by Mr. Blum. She’s a joyful, welcoming woman who greeted me with open arms and pleas to come back soon so she can cook me something.  Next we met Sam, the town socialite.  He’s in his early 30s and Mr. Blum deemed him the person for me to know to be connected in Franklin. And to top off this fantastic welcome to Franklin, Gary drove me to Winn-Dixie so I could do some quick grocery shopping.  Now that’s what I call a great Landlord. 

Overall, the first day of my new life has been pleasant.  This evening I settled in, cooked myself dinner, did some laundry, and busied myself with the art of starting a new life in a new place.  The hard part of the transition is over.  I’m here.  Tomorrow I start my Family Medicine clinical rotation at the Teche Action Clinic.  I’m excited to see what Family Medicine looks like in the trenches and I’m ready to get in on the action.  I’m ready to keep moving, both literally and figuratively, through this crazy journey of becoming a doctor.