It's not just for students anymore....

Follow me while I follow my husband to the Midwest and try to navigate the "Partner" world at one of US News and World Report's Top 5 MBA Programs in the country.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Planes, Trains and Rental Cars


Sorry I’ve been MIA for a while; life kind of got in the way of blogging this past week and a half. I was really busy getting ready for Admit Weekend (thank goodness that’s over!) and then we unexpectedly had to travel back East, as Cam’s grandmother passed away (one of my least favorite euphemisms. I hate euphemisms in general, but “passed away?” What does that even mean? I just want to say straight out, “she died,” but you have to worry about offending other people! It’s my relative, okay? Anyway….). Back when we lived in Boston, we would have just rented a car and driven down to Connecticut. Now, we have to book last minute flights (while trying not to disrupt Cam’s class schedule), find Henry a puppy sitter, rent a car (LOVE Priceline!), and somehow get to O’Hare from Hyde Park without either missing our flight or spending $200. Ah, the joys of living far away from “home.”


For me and Cam, this has been one of the biggest adjustments in coming to Chicago for business school. My parents and brother and his sister all live in Massachusetts, Cam’s mom and my best friend live in Connecticut, and my sister lives in NYC – all back on the East Coast. I’m used to going home for Thanksgiving, spending the weekend with my sister in New York, driving to Maine with my brother to see my grandparents, and going to Cam’s mom’s for a visit with her and my best friend. I’m not accustomed to planning these activities months in advance around Cam’s ever-changing school schedule and my limited vacation time. We lived in Sydney for six months in 2006, but we had a very different mindset then: we were there and we were staying there for six months. And then we were coming back. Two years is a very different story.


So, how do you stay in touch with friends and family without spending your meager life savings and half your life traveling? It depends who you’re dealing with. I talk to my mom on the phone, email with my dad, Facebook (a lot!) with my best friend, gchat with my sister, and sometimes we even video chat. Anne (my sister) got a new guinea pig, Sprinkles, and I’ve never met her. So, we make sure that cousins Henry and Sprinkles get to know each other remotely ;). These are the (ridiculous) ways that we make sure our families stay connected while living far apart. Hey, whatever works, right?

4 comments:

  1. haha, later on, you're going to look back with fond memories of these exciting two years. Have fun at your hs reunion!

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  2. my parents are half way across the world...and I don't have siblings...so I kinda envy your situation :)...hehe

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  3. you're right, dreamchaser, that it's really not that bad :). i'm just used to being so close, you know? we're getting more and more used to it, though!! halfway across the world...sometimes, that might not be so bad ;).

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