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It is beginning to look like I will be moving across the country for PA school and bringing my spouse along with me. This is good news as I was accepted to an amazing program, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about uprooting our lives for the next two years. 

We will be far away from family and friends, farther than we have ever been. Although he is more than supportive and on board with this decision, I know that it will be hard on both of us. 

I am wondering if anyone here has been in a similar situation? Do you have any encouraging words or suggestions?

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22 minutes ago, JohnnyLAX9 said:

I am in a similar situation. My wife and I are moving from the Pacific Northwest/ Mountain West area to the South. We are both super excited for the new adventure but I'm low key a little nervous too.

We’re are in similar situations! Seems like we will be from the PNW to North Carolina. Nervous but excited. 

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I'm in the same boat as you. My significant other and I recently moved back to my home state in the Midwest but I was accepted to a program out West so it seems we will be packing up our bags along with our dog and cat to make another trek. 

No insight as of yet since we are in the same spot as you and your spouse, but as someone who has traveled extensively and moved around a lot (I've moved every year for the past seven years...must have been a nomad in a past life) here's what I've learned:

1) Timing

When do you want to move exactly? Some people prefer to move as soon as they can while others prefer to work as long as they can to save up money before PA school. Neither are wrong but do what works best for you and your spouse. This is something to discuss with each other. Personally, my significant other and I are looking to move to the area around March in order to give ourselves time to settle into our new surroundings and give him time to network and land a job. The unknown always seems intimidating so moving early allows the jitters and nervousness to subside as you become more familiar with the area. Also, on that subject, when exploring do as much as you can by foot (if possible). It really allows you to get a feel of the neighborhood and city as opposed to driving through it. 

2) Housing

Try to visit the area if you can prior to settling on an apartment/condo/house/bungalow etc. Oftentimes, places are not as they seem online so if you're able to work that into your schedule you will save yourself a lot of hassle in the future if the place you saw online looks nothing like that when you get there, it's in an unsafe neighborhood, etc. I know some people get lucky on this front but I and many others I've known have been burned on this before so tread carefully. 

3) Ditch those hoarder tendencies

Okay, not saying you're a hoarder, but if you've been in any one place for a few years, especially living with another person, the amount of stuff you own starts to pile up, unless you're a minimalist. It's never too early to start throwing things out you don't think you will need or packing away clothes or items that won't be used in the meantime (summer clothes, certain decorations or decor, storage items, etc). This will save you a lot of time and headaches when it comes down to packing everything away in boxes. And speaking of packing belongings...

4) Logistics of the move

Are you going to pack up your belongings and drive them yourself? Use a company like Pods? Hire movers? These are all boring concepts, yes, but vital in ensuring your move goes as smoothly as possible. Don't put off doing this until the last minute as it will only stress you out further. Trust me, learned this one from experience! And whichever option you choose, in some form you will have to drive to your new location. Contrary to what some may think, driving cross country isn't as bad as it sounds ? don't be afraid to set aside a decent amount of time for this in order to give yourselves ample opportunity to explore the country along the way. Correct me if I'm wrong but judging by your name you're from the Pacific Northwest area and if you're on your way to the East Coast, there's a whole lot of country to see! Obviously money is a factor here, but it never hurts to make some pit stops on the way and use this as a chance to experience places you've never been. Plus, it'll give you a lot to talk about to all the new people you'll meet at your program. 

5) Attitude

This is probably the most important. Yes, uprooting your life is scary, but it's also incredibly exciting! While the idea of leaving family and friends is always daunting,  the move also gives you a chance to meet new people as long as you're open to it. I'm sure many people at your PA school will be (or have been) in similar situations and will be more than accepting to people outside of the area. For the next two to three years, your classmates and faculty will become a surrogate family as you help each other through the struggles, hardships, and triumphs of PA school. You'll always have your friends and family back home but instead of focusing on the distance between you and them, try to focus on building up new relationships and the rest will fall into place. Hard as it is to believe, North Carolina will feel like home to you guys in no time. Plus, even if you decide to move back to the PNW following school, it never hurts to have connections elsewhere.

Not an extensive list by any means but hopefully you found something useful in my rambling. As cheesy as it is, I'll end with a quote: 

“Life always begins with one step outside of your comfort zone.” 
 Shannon L. Alder

Good luck to you on the move and congratulations on your acceptance!

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20 hours ago, Victory1322 said:

I'm in the same boat as you. My significant other and I recently moved back to my home state in the Midwest but I was accepted to a program out West so it seems we will be packing up our bags along with our dog and cat to make another trek. 

No insight as of yet since we are in the same spot as you and your spouse, but as someone who has traveled extensively and moved around a lot (I've moved every year for the past seven years...must have been a nomad in a past life) here's what I've learned:

1) Timing

When do you want to move exactly? Some people prefer to move as soon as they can while others prefer to work as long as they can to save up money before PA school. Neither are wrong but do what works best for you and your spouse. This is something to discuss with each other. Personally, my significant other and I are looking to move to the area around March in order to give ourselves time to settle into our new surroundings and give him time to network and land a job. The unknown always seems intimidating so moving early allows the jitters and nervousness to subside as you become more familiar with the area. Also, on that subject, when exploring do as much as you can by foot (if possible). It really allows you to get a feel of the neighborhood and city as opposed to driving through it. 

2) Housing

Try to visit the area if you can prior to settling on an apartment/condo/house/bungalow etc. Oftentimes, places are not as they seem online so if you're able to work that into your schedule you will save yourself a lot of hassle in the future if the place you saw online looks nothing like that when you get there, it's in an unsafe neighborhood, etc. I know some people get lucky on this front but I and many others I've known have been burned on this before so tread carefully. 

3) Ditch those hoarder tendencies

Okay, not saying you're a hoarder, but if you've been in any one place for a few years, especially living with another person, the amount of stuff you own starts to pile up, unless you're a minimalist. It's never too early to start throwing things out you don't think you will need or packing away clothes or items that won't be used in the meantime (summer clothes, certain decorations or decor, storage items, etc). This will save you a lot of time and headaches when it comes down to packing everything away in boxes. And speaking of packing belongings...

4) Logistics of the move

Are you going to pack up your belongings and drive them yourself? Use a company like Pods? Hire movers? These are all boring concepts, yes, but vital in ensuring your move goes as smoothly as possible. Don't put off doing this until the last minute as it will only stress you out further. Trust me, learned this one from experience! And whichever option you choose, in some form you will have to drive to your new location. Contrary to what some may think, driving cross country isn't as bad as it sounds ? don't be afraid to set aside a decent amount of time for this in order to give yourselves ample opportunity to explore the country along the way. Correct me if I'm wrong but judging by your name you're from the Pacific Northwest area and if you're on your way to the East Coast, there's a whole lot of country to see! Obviously money is a factor here, but it never hurts to make some pit stops on the way and use this as a chance to experience places you've never been. Plus, it'll give you a lot to talk about to all the new people you'll meet at your program. 

5) Attitude

This is probably the most important. Yes, uprooting your life is scary, but it's also incredibly exciting! While the idea of leaving family and friends is always daunting,  the move also gives you a chance to meet new people as long as you're open to it. I'm sure many people at your PA school will be (or have been) in similar situations and will be more than accepting to people outside of the area. For the next two to three years, your classmates and faculty will become a surrogate family as you help each other through the struggles, hardships, and triumphs of PA school. You'll always have your friends and family back home but instead of focusing on the distance between you and them, try to focus on building up new relationships and the rest will fall into place. Hard as it is to believe, North Carolina will feel like home to you guys in no time. Plus, even if you decide to move back to the PNW following school, it never hurts to have connections elsewhere.

Not an extensive list by any means but hopefully you found something useful in my rambling. As cheesy as it is, I'll end with a quote: 

“Life always begins with one step outside of your comfort zone.” 
 Shannon L. Alder

Good luck to you on the move and congratulations on your acceptance!

Thank you so much for such a thorough response! This is my first big move so it’s hard to know where to start. I so appreciate you taking the time to list everything out because there is so much to think about and it’s all totally new.

Also glad to know that so many of us are in the same boat! Makes it a little less scary.

Good luck with your move!!

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On 10/17/2018 at 3:49 PM, hmtpnw said:

It is beginning to look like I will be moving across the country for PA school and bringing my spouse along with me. This is good news as I was accepted to an amazing program, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about uprooting our lives for the next two years. 

We will be far away from family and friends, farther than we have ever been. Although he is more than supportive and on board with this decision, I know that it will be hard on both of us. 

I am wondering if anyone here has been in a similar situation? Do you have any encouraging words or suggestions?

Heya - I moved from the PNW to TN with my husband, message me if you'd like to discuss! 

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I am currently on my 2nd big move across the country with my wife and now my kids, UT to OH to NC. It is definitely a big change and I would like to second that attitude is a very important factor to make it work. When you get to your new area do what you can to make it yours and be happy about it. Do the tourist thing an see the local sites, visit any fair/festival that you can find, talk to neighbors/classmates/people at walmart about their favorite places and try them out, make yourself comfortable with the area. The two of you will feel less isolated and alone if your surroundings feel like home. And honestly I am always surprised by how quickly my new place feels like home with my family there too.

Feel free to message me with any other questions.

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