New Beginnings Settling In

After my European escapade and tour of the Midwest I moved into my new apartment in Indianapolis. Moving is so unnecessarily stressful from apartment hunting to tours and applications. I have been kind of a nomad moving around so much this year. My lease ended shortly before December and since then I have stayed in an Airbnb, at several friends’ places, and even with my mom. Moving all of my stuff between each place was incredibly labor-intensive so I got a storage unit for all my furniture and things I didn’t need easy access to. I still had to move my clothes around – which I have a lot of and especially couldn’t consolidate when the weather ranged from 40-70 degrees F. During this time, I was lugging bags up and down flights of stairs and carrying heavy things outside. It wasn't the best time and was a perfect storm for several crisis triggers. Luckily, somehow, my health was fine. Actually, I was maybe the healthiest I have felt in all of medical school.

A helping friend

I really liked living with my best friend and her then fiancé for a few months. They helped me set and maintain physical, mental, and financial health goals. My best friend motivated me to work out several days a week and I was able to meet my goal of working out at least three times a week. We would go to workout classes together or watch workout videos at home together. All the physical activity was great but staying hydrated and taking breaks as often as I needed was really important. Sometimes that was pretty often, but I learned not to feel bad about that and I definitely got better. Over time I needed less breaks. Living with my friend also got me eating right. She’s vegan so I ate nothing but veggies, tofu, beans, ramen, and lots of potstickers and wow, was it amazing.

How I stayed healthy living overseas with sickle cell

My time in Europe was also some of the best, healthiest days of my life. I managed to feel really good through walking several miles a day, minus the occasional steep set of stairs or hills. The food and the lifestyle just felt right over there. I felt more aligned and it was easy to take care of myself.

Maintaining a balance

Now that I settled into my new place thanks to my boyfriend’s help, I am trying to keep up with all those health habits. I worry though that I’ve been doing a little too much for a little too long. I’m just hoping I haven’t over done it and trying to rest while preparing for this new chapter of life.

In just a short period of time, so much of my life has changed. I have lost old friends and made new friends. My address has changed and my job title. I am loving every moment of it but also trying to listen to my body and I think it’s telling me to slow down for a bit. So I’ll be resting when I can and soaking it all up in between.