Saying Goodbye to Boston
HAPPY FRIDAY!!!
As mine and Shawn's time here in Boston winds down, we've been thinking a lot about the good memories and everything we've done, felt, seen, and experienced over the past four years. We've had really tough times, we've had really great times. There's been tears, there's been laughter. I've had a lot of people ask me if I'll miss it here, what we've learned, where we're moving, what's next for us, etc. So I thought it'd be fun to do a little question and answer session with Shawn about our experience here and share it with all of you!
What do you wish you knew before starting dental school and moving to Boston?
Shawn:
"In terms of school, I wish I had known how big of a role politics and bureaucracy play. Attending dental school wasn't just about dentistry, there was a lot of red tape and paperwork that had to be done in order to complete patient treatment. As far as Boston goes, I wish I had known how terrible the roads are! The word pothole is the biggest understatement ever. There are craters in the roads here."
Lexi:
"I wish I would have known just how much Shawn would be gone, especially during the first two years. I got really good at being independent (see my previous post) and doing my own thing, but it also helped us enjoy the time we did get to spend together. I also wish I'd known a few things about Boston before we came out here. Like how freaking cold the winters are, how much it really snows, how bad the roads are, how crazy the drivers are, how expensive things are, and how many times my hair would be ruined by the humidity haha!"
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| One thing we definitely knew before we moved out here was how big of a Red Sox fan Shawn is! |
What kept you motivated through the past four years?
Shawn:
"Knowing that I'd be able to get a great job and have a good quality of life once I graduated was my main motivation throughout school. During dental school it was the little victories that continued to make it all worth it. Like passing boards first year, becoming involved in ASDA second year, starting clinic and treating patients third year, and starting to see results of patients that I had treated and helped during my last year."
Lexi:
"Knowing that Shawn could get a great job to support our family at the end of this process. Plus, it was important to me that Shawn would be doing something he loved for work and these four years were part of the journey to get there."
What do you love most about Boston?
Shawn:
"The Red Sox! Being at Fenway for games and touring the stadium were things I had dreamt of doing since I was a teenager. I definitely recommend going to some games if you're ever here. I also love that there's a large Brazilian population here. It made finding good Brazilian food and soda easy! Additionally, it helped me to refresh my Portuguese and learn medical terminology so that I could treat those patients at the school."
Lexi:
"I have LOVED being right by the water. There's something super therapeutic about sitting on the beach and looking out at the ocean! I also love the seafood."
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| That view though! This was taken at our first Red Sox game. What a blast! |
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| Speaking of views...this is right outside our front door. I'll definitely miss that! |
What do you dislike most about Boston?
Shawn:
"Winters for sure! It's cold, it's snowy, it's windy, and everything is a dull gray. Totally the worst part of the year. Our first winter here was awful! We got almost ten feet of snow in a matter of weeks and I never saw the sun. I'd get to school around 7:00am before the sun came up, and leave around 4:00pm after it had gone down. It was the longest couple months ever."
Lexi:
"Traffic! Ugh, the traffic. The city's infrastructure is awful and there are not really any traffic patterns. So traffic can be terrible at 11:30am on a Wednesday. Who knows?!"
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| This wasn't even that bad...it got so much worse. I remember having about 4 feet piled up on our balcony at one point! |
Shawn:
"Fogo De Chao. Delicious Brazilian restaurant!"
Lexi:
What's your favorite season in Boston?
Shawn:
"Summer, because it's finally warm enough to be outside!"
Lexi:
"Fall. The colors here are amazing! And not to mention apple cider donuts, pumpkin picking, and hayrides."
"Fogo De Chao. Delicious Brazilian restaurant!"
Lexi:
"Garlic N' Lemons. Best. Shawarma. Ever."
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| Oh and do yourself a favor, eat at the Cookie Monstah truck! Best ice cream sandwiches ever! |
What are some ways you helped each other through the four years of dental school?
Shawn:
"Lexi dropped me off at the school pretty much every day which saved me from walking or taking the most round-about route via public transportation. She also worked two jobs and took care of all our finances so I could just focus on school. She was always my listening ear. Whenever I had a rough day at school, I knew I could go home and talk to her about it or get her advice on how to handle something."
Lexi:
"Well, Shawn cleaned my teeth for free so that was nice haha! In all seriousness, Shawn was great about balancing home life and school. So he helped out with dinner or grocery shopping when he had time. And Friday nights were sacred; it was always our date night!"
Shawn:
"Lexi dropped me off at the school pretty much every day which saved me from walking or taking the most round-about route via public transportation. She also worked two jobs and took care of all our finances so I could just focus on school. She was always my listening ear. Whenever I had a rough day at school, I knew I could go home and talk to her about it or get her advice on how to handle something."
Lexi:
"Well, Shawn cleaned my teeth for free so that was nice haha! In all seriousness, Shawn was great about balancing home life and school. So he helped out with dinner or grocery shopping when he had time. And Friday nights were sacred; it was always our date night!"
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| Many date nights were spent at Burger Dive, one of our faves!! |
How did you stay connected to family?
Shawn:
"We were really good at Facetiming our families on a weekly basis to catch up and stay connected to our loved ones back home. It was hard during first year, because I didn't have much time off and we didn't have the finances to fly home very often. But during second year, things mellowed out and we had set aside savings so that we could visit family as much as possible."
Lexi:
"Ditto to what Shawn said haha! But we also had a ton of visitors! Family and friends were always coming out to see us...and Boston. I think the longest we went without having visitors was a couple months. That helped pass time and made our hearts ache a little less!"
Did you ever want to quit? If so, why didn't you give up?
Shawn:
"Absolutely, I remember one day in particular I came home from school after just taking an exam. I had checked the results on my way home and they were less than what I had expected. I remember feeling defeated and frustrated. I told Lexi that I'm done and that we may as well pack up and move home. The ironic thing is that looking back now, it wasn't as big of a deal as I made it out to be and the grade wasn't that bad either. But at the time it seemed overwhelming. Good thing Lexi was there to remind me of the bigger picture. Plus, she threatened me and said that we didn't come all this way and spend all this money for me to quit. I had to remember that the end result would be worth it and that I'd get to do something every day that I've always wanted to do. I've always known that I wanted to practice dentistry."
Lexi:
"I never really saw quitting as an option for us. We committed, we moved out here, and we were going to see it through. That being said, I wasn't the one actually in school. I know Shawn got frustrated with school several times and may have wanted to quit on occasion. So in a way, I felt like it was my responsibility to remind Shawn why we were out here when he'd get discouraged. It was one of the ways that I could support and be there for him."
Shawn:
"We were really good at Facetiming our families on a weekly basis to catch up and stay connected to our loved ones back home. It was hard during first year, because I didn't have much time off and we didn't have the finances to fly home very often. But during second year, things mellowed out and we had set aside savings so that we could visit family as much as possible."
Lexi:
"Ditto to what Shawn said haha! But we also had a ton of visitors! Family and friends were always coming out to see us...and Boston. I think the longest we went without having visitors was a couple months. That helped pass time and made our hearts ache a little less!"
Did you ever want to quit? If so, why didn't you give up?
Shawn:
"Absolutely, I remember one day in particular I came home from school after just taking an exam. I had checked the results on my way home and they were less than what I had expected. I remember feeling defeated and frustrated. I told Lexi that I'm done and that we may as well pack up and move home. The ironic thing is that looking back now, it wasn't as big of a deal as I made it out to be and the grade wasn't that bad either. But at the time it seemed overwhelming. Good thing Lexi was there to remind me of the bigger picture. Plus, she threatened me and said that we didn't come all this way and spend all this money for me to quit. I had to remember that the end result would be worth it and that I'd get to do something every day that I've always wanted to do. I've always known that I wanted to practice dentistry."
Lexi:
"I never really saw quitting as an option for us. We committed, we moved out here, and we were going to see it through. That being said, I wasn't the one actually in school. I know Shawn got frustrated with school several times and may have wanted to quit on occasion. So in a way, I felt like it was my responsibility to remind Shawn why we were out here when he'd get discouraged. It was one of the ways that I could support and be there for him."
What's your favorite season in Boston?
Shawn:
"Summer, because it's finally warm enough to be outside!"
Lexi:
"Fall. The colors here are amazing! And not to mention apple cider donuts, pumpkin picking, and hayrides."
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| This beach was just down the street from our complex. We played sand volleyball, ran, biked, ate ice cream, and made some great memories with friends! |
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| Last 4th of July we went sailing with friends in Newport, RI and it was so fun! Day trips in New England are the best! |
What's a favorite memory from your time in Boston?
Shawn:
"When my whole family (parents, siblings and nephews) came out to Boston for my White Coat Ceremony during second year."
Lexi:
Shawn:
"When my whole family (parents, siblings and nephews) came out to Boston for my White Coat Ceremony during second year."
Lexi:
"Ugh, it's hard to just pick one! I'd have to say that my favorite memory of the last four years is when we'd have visitors and get to show them around the city. I took pride in Boston and all it has to offer. I loved watching people's faces light up when they'd learn about all the historical aspects of this city!
Do you have any regrets about dental school or living in Boston?
Shawn:
"I had originally planned on specializing and doing orthodontics. After going to the first week of orientation, I decided that I was tired of school and that I could be happy being a general dentist. I didn't need to specialize. After getting into clinic and having to break the news to patients that the treatment they needed was going to be super expensive, I saw the appeal of becoming an orthodontist. Orthodontia patients know exactly what they're being seen for and therefore have a rough estimate of how much treatment will cost. On the other hand, as a general dentist you have patients who think nothing is wrong and when they come in for a standard check up, they're told they need a few thousand dollars worth of treatment. A part of me is jealous of orthodontists and the lower stress lifestyle that comes with their line of work. So you may say I have a tiny bit of regret in terms of choosing to not specialize, but overall I'm very happy with my decision."
Lexi:
"Obviously I didn't attend dental school, but I firmly believe that the spouse "goes to school" too ha! It's a joint effort. So no, I don't have any regrets about dental school. And I wouldn't have chosen any other city to come to. We never would have come to or lived in Boston if Shawn didn't get accepted to dental school here. It's been a great experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything!"
What advice would you give to others wanting to attend dental school either in Boston or another city?
Shawn:
"Find a school that fits your personality and can help you achieve your goals for the future. I interviewed at a few schools that were good schools, but after spending some time around students and faculty, I couldn't see myself going there. Also, make sure the schools you apply to and the one you choose are the right fit in terms of what kind of education you want (i.e. clinical based, research based, public health based, or specialization)."
Lexi:
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| That time my family came out to visit for a week and we lived it up in NYC!! |
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| We kayaked the Charles River several times with friends and family. It's such a great way to see the city, avoid traffic, and stay cool on a hot summer day! |
Do you have any regrets about dental school or living in Boston?
Shawn:
"I had originally planned on specializing and doing orthodontics. After going to the first week of orientation, I decided that I was tired of school and that I could be happy being a general dentist. I didn't need to specialize. After getting into clinic and having to break the news to patients that the treatment they needed was going to be super expensive, I saw the appeal of becoming an orthodontist. Orthodontia patients know exactly what they're being seen for and therefore have a rough estimate of how much treatment will cost. On the other hand, as a general dentist you have patients who think nothing is wrong and when they come in for a standard check up, they're told they need a few thousand dollars worth of treatment. A part of me is jealous of orthodontists and the lower stress lifestyle that comes with their line of work. So you may say I have a tiny bit of regret in terms of choosing to not specialize, but overall I'm very happy with my decision."
Lexi:
"Obviously I didn't attend dental school, but I firmly believe that the spouse "goes to school" too ha! It's a joint effort. So no, I don't have any regrets about dental school. And I wouldn't have chosen any other city to come to. We never would have come to or lived in Boston if Shawn didn't get accepted to dental school here. It's been a great experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything!"
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| A little bit of beauty and a whole lot of history. Love the authentic historical vibe of Boston! |
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| Boston has THE CUTEST townhouses (referred to as brownstones) that have been a part of the city forever! Like this one that is almost completely covered in plants. Love it! |
What advice would you give to others wanting to attend dental school either in Boston or another city?
Shawn:
"Find a school that fits your personality and can help you achieve your goals for the future. I interviewed at a few schools that were good schools, but after spending some time around students and faculty, I couldn't see myself going there. Also, make sure the schools you apply to and the one you choose are the right fit in terms of what kind of education you want (i.e. clinical based, research based, public health based, or specialization)."
Lexi:
"See all my tips for dental wives in my previous post!" But if I had to pick one thing to say now, see the history! Do the Freedom Trail. You won't regret it!
Are you going to miss Boston?
Shawn:
"Yes. I'm going to miss the good seafood, living by the ocean, sand volleyball on the beach, and going to Red Sox games."
Lexi:
"Yes! Which is surprising. I've been telling myself for the last few months that I'm totally ready to move and wouldn't really miss this place. But I got to thinking as I was writing this post and realized that I actually will miss some stuff."
What's next?
Shawn accepted a position at a practice in the Dallas area and we are moving May 19th! While we will miss Boston, we're so excited for our next big adventure and everything that lies ahead for us! Thanks to all our family and friends for the love and support. Couldn't have done it with out y'all!!
P.S. I LOVE to answer questions about Boston, offer help and give advice. So whether you're planning a visit or moving here, hit me up. Have a fabulous weekend!
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| The site of the Boston Massacre. Crazy how tiny this building looks amongst all the skyscrapers! |
Are you going to miss Boston?
Shawn:
"Yes. I'm going to miss the good seafood, living by the ocean, sand volleyball on the beach, and going to Red Sox games."
Lexi:
"Yes! Which is surprising. I've been telling myself for the last few months that I'm totally ready to move and wouldn't really miss this place. But I got to thinking as I was writing this post and realized that I actually will miss some stuff."
What's next?
Shawn accepted a position at a practice in the Dallas area and we are moving May 19th! While we will miss Boston, we're so excited for our next big adventure and everything that lies ahead for us! Thanks to all our family and friends for the love and support. Couldn't have done it with out y'all!!
P.S. I LOVE to answer questions about Boston, offer help and give advice. So whether you're planning a visit or moving here, hit me up. Have a fabulous weekend!
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