First Day of School... Again. Oh, and Again.

Two things. First, I realize it has been a while since my last post, but I will do some backtracking to catch up on three weeks of an (OMG) amazing vacation. Second, I want to assure you that I PROMISE in shouty capitals that this will be my last "first day of school"... for at least a decade. At some point I am going to get tired of accruing letters after my name, and I will give up. So again, I promise. This is it. Fin.

Now, unlike medical school, this truly had the feel of going back to college. Pops and I packed up the Budget truck, and settled in for a nice nine hour drive to Boston. We chatted, listened to Economics lectures, meandered through Princeton, New Jersey ("Are you sure you just don't want me to drop you off here?!"), finally parking the truck right outside my dormitory. And yes, I do mean "dormitory." I currently live in a seven story edifice that, for all intents and purposes, is a college dorm. Long hallways with doors line each side, laundry facilities in the basement, and people who insist on taking the elevator from the second floor down to the first. To my knowledge, there are only three major differences:

• I don't share a bathroom. My "dorm room" is a studio apartment that is actually relatively spacious. Do I miss sharing the commode with seven other dudes? Not really.
• There are little children everywhere. I'm basically living on the Harvard (Pops, did it take me more than 30 seconds to drop the H-bomb? I hope so...) Business School campus - aka "Cambridge Country Club" - and I am living in one of the "family friendly" apartment buildings. There is a daycare on the bottom floor. Don't remember that in Carmichael dormitory. Bedtime here is at 1600.
• The annoying RAs are gone. And yes, I mean you, Christopher in 415. I don't answer to NOBODY! It's a good thing too. The last RA who tried to impose his will on 443 Carmichael got the entire floor's worth of furniture propped up against his door. No entry or exit, Christopher. Serves you right for snitchin' on our street sign collection...

Anywho, Pops and I moved us in over the span of two hours, but it will take a couple weeks to settle in. I have a few first impressions of living in this area, none of them positive. First of all, I submit that there is no excuse for obesity in a city. Over the weekend, when I had to search for groceries, classrooms, and essential Target items, I walked/biked at least 157 miles. If you don't believe in cabs (which I don't), then it's basically a biathlon every week. I joined the Cambridge Masters swim team just to make sure I can get in my weekly Iron Man. It's ridiculous.

Also, as Pops and I noticed on the drive up here, the fast food industry is really not doing it's job in the North. When I drive from Chapel Hill to Charlotte down I-85, there is an AVERAGE of 7 different fast food joints per exit. I don't want signs for Dunkin' Donuts (why are there so many up here?!), and I don't want just the option of McDonalds or Wendy's at an exit. We deserve choices for our gluttony. There should be an Arby's, Wendy's, Jack in the Box, Taco Bell, Panda Express, Burger King, the "MacDonalds," Hardy's, Five Guys, and (if you're feeling healthy) a Subway, at every corner. This lack of commitment to winning the obesity award is disheartening.

Other than that, it's not too bad, as long as it stays 85 degrees and sunny. I do miss the oppression of a 105 heat index, but hey, I'll survive. Orientation starts on Monday, and then the real "last-first-day-of-school" will begin.