I have been living in Ann Arbor for about 10 days, and I am finally feeling some semblance of a rhythm and a degree of settled-ness. These past weeks have really been a whirlwind, really ever since I left Switzerland. I had a wonderful time with my family around Christmas, a fabulous time in Mexico on the beach, and then it was move time.
I am so thankful that my whole family was able to come help me move- not only for all of their help (I couldn't have done it without them!), but also because it was nice to have some extra time together. They helped me get settled in my new place, helped me with my IKEA furniture, held my hand through my first real mega supermarket grocery shopping experience (I went into some sort of shock because of the size of the place and couldn't make decisions at all), and helped me find a car. It was sad to see them go, but it is nice to know that they are only a few hours away by plane!
After they left, I bought my first car ever: Chester the Subaru. I have been very thankful for Chester's all-wheel drive feature, since it snowed every day for the first week that I was here. Now it has stopped snowing because it is so viciously cold- so cold that they canceled University classes because of the dangerous windchills. Since I have a 40-minute walk one-way in to campus, I definitely worked from home that day!
I'm still working on getting settled at my new job, figuring out what projects I'll be working on and pulling my brain out of vacation mode. The first time I sat down to read scientific papers again after my month-long break was a total disaster, but I'm coming back, slowly but surely.
Ann Arbor seems like a nice town, but I haven't done much exploring because of the weather. It feels weird not to have travel plans after all of the traveling I did last fall, but I think I'm going to try to get my bearings before planning any trips. Thankfully, some friends of mine are coming to visit in February, so I already have something to look forward to!
I do miss Switzerland. When I was on vacation and at my parents' house it wasn't so bad, I think because where I was was temporary and not real life. Now that I'm settled someplace new and starting a new "real life", I think that I will miss Switzerland and my friends and life there more, at least for a while.
Even though I miss Switzerland, I do feel like Ann Arbor will be a nice place to live. I appreciate that I can walk to work and don't have to drive, and I'm sure I'll appreciate this even more once the weather is a little nicer! My roommate is very nice and has already been introducing me to our neighbors and her friends, I think that my job will be challenging and enjoyable, and I have a whole new area to explore.
It's always exciting to build a new life somewhere, and I'm definitely looking forward to how it will turn out!
I am so thankful that my whole family was able to come help me move- not only for all of their help (I couldn't have done it without them!), but also because it was nice to have some extra time together. They helped me get settled in my new place, helped me with my IKEA furniture, held my hand through my first real mega supermarket grocery shopping experience (I went into some sort of shock because of the size of the place and couldn't make decisions at all), and helped me find a car. It was sad to see them go, but it is nice to know that they are only a few hours away by plane!
After they left, I bought my first car ever: Chester the Subaru. I have been very thankful for Chester's all-wheel drive feature, since it snowed every day for the first week that I was here. Now it has stopped snowing because it is so viciously cold- so cold that they canceled University classes because of the dangerous windchills. Since I have a 40-minute walk one-way in to campus, I definitely worked from home that day!
I'm still working on getting settled at my new job, figuring out what projects I'll be working on and pulling my brain out of vacation mode. The first time I sat down to read scientific papers again after my month-long break was a total disaster, but I'm coming back, slowly but surely.
Ann Arbor seems like a nice town, but I haven't done much exploring because of the weather. It feels weird not to have travel plans after all of the traveling I did last fall, but I think I'm going to try to get my bearings before planning any trips. Thankfully, some friends of mine are coming to visit in February, so I already have something to look forward to!
I do miss Switzerland. When I was on vacation and at my parents' house it wasn't so bad, I think because where I was was temporary and not real life. Now that I'm settled someplace new and starting a new "real life", I think that I will miss Switzerland and my friends and life there more, at least for a while.
Even though I miss Switzerland, I do feel like Ann Arbor will be a nice place to live. I appreciate that I can walk to work and don't have to drive, and I'm sure I'll appreciate this even more once the weather is a little nicer! My roommate is very nice and has already been introducing me to our neighbors and her friends, I think that my job will be challenging and enjoyable, and I have a whole new area to explore.
It's always exciting to build a new life somewhere, and I'm definitely looking forward to how it will turn out!
