MEET THE WARNERS
Names:
Brittany, Brendon, and Scarlett
From: Brittany hails from Idaho. Brendon is from Arizona.
How did you meet your spouse? We have the best story! We met at our friends’ wedding. I was a bridesmaid and he was a groomsman. It was very “romantic comedy”.
Where are you in the medical journey? We were living in Utah before medical school. My husband is an MS1 at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix
Medical School Timeline:
- Accepted to UA COM-Phoenix May 2018
- Moved June 2018
- Started school July 2018
How did you make the move?
We moved from Provo, UT to Phoenix, Arizona. It was about 12 hours. We decided to do a U-haul towing our car behind on a trailer. We wanted to save our car some wear and tear. Driving a U-haul through mountain passes was a little crazy, but we made it! They only had a 20’ when we got it the day we moved, but we had ordered a 16’ so we had a bigger truck than we thought we would. I had never driven a trailer before so driving a huge U-haul with a car behind it was new for me.
We tried to find a balance between selling a lot of our stuff and keeping enough that we didn’t have to buy it all new again in Arizona. I think the craziest part of it all for us was that Brendon’s family moved the same week we did, so we drove to Arizona and helped them move for two days and then they helped us unpack the next day. Every day hit at least 110 degrees!
How much did you budget for the move?
I don’t remember for sure, but I want to say we planned for at least $1000.
What would you have changed?
- Now that we have a baby, we’ll definitely look at either a pod or I’d fly with the baby for our next move. Unless it’s close enough to drive.
- Also, I wish we could have moved in the Arizona winter! The only thing in my power to change would be to have less stuff to move! I’ve always been a big fan of the KonMari tidying method, and I’ll definitely do it before our next big move!
What are you glad you did?
Even though the U-haul is slow and expensive, I loved having that time to drive together and bond more with my husband before med school started. We love road trips together and it was so fun to have that experience as a couple.
How did you find housing?
We are lucky to have my in-laws in Arizona, who could do some scouting out for us in the area. At first we didn’t want to live right in downtown, but our in-laws found a great apartment for us right across the street from campus and we’ve loved it!
Best moving tip for med school?
Have less stuff! But really I’d say to be open to a new place and new experiences. Moving is stressful, expensive, and time consuming no matter how you do it so you may as well try to see the adventure in it as much as you can! Also, there’s lots of packing hacks on Pinterest/the internet so be sure to check those out!
Any other advice?
For those of you dreading moving because of the new location…I’m right there with you! I remember when we looked at the Phoenix campus and being from a small town, I thought, “No way, I can’t live in Phoenix!” Well sure enough, we’re RIGHT by campus close to the heart of the downtown metropolis!
My biggest piece of advice was something I heard on the Married to Doctors podcast. A guest said something about at the very least just being open to the idea of not hating a place. That was huge for me! For those first incredibly hot months in a big city, I just kept telling myself that I was open to not hating Phoenix. Now, because I allowed myself to be open, I’ve actually come to really enjoy where we live!
This location is definitely not my “forever home” type of place, but I really don’t hate it either. I’ve explored the city, come to love our apartment, and been grateful to be close to Brendon and campus during this first year of school. I started with just being open to the fact that I might not hate this city, and in just a few months, I’ve come to really enjoy it! So, when you’re unhappy about a move…just tell yourself there’s a chance you won’t hate it, and most likely you’ll be right!
