After a decade of living in Massachusetts, the time has come for me to say goodbye to a place I have grown to love. Though it does feel strange to be leaving some of my best friends and coworkers and wonderful patients at the Banfield Pet Hospital in Cambridge and South Boston Animal Hospital, I am very excited at the prospect of working at a small animal private practice in Manhattan. My wife and I are eager to get to know the joys (and assuredly the challenges) of living in New York City, especially during a pandemic.
One of the things I will miss most about living is the opportunity to see my friends (who have really become family) on a regular basis. Whether going on long bike rides with my wife down the Minuteman Trail to find Revolutionary War-era landmarks or exploring places in Marblehead, being able to hang out with friends (these days only in a socially distant manner, of course) has been a huge part of my life here in Massachusetts. I even got to spend an afternoon with my “brothers” Daniel and Shmulik at Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg (also known as Webster Lake), which is famous for being the longest place name in the United States. Their dog, a Husky/German Shepherd mix named Kemba, has been such a pleasure to get to know. Even though Kemba isn’t a patient of mine, it is really meaningful for me to be able to answer questions that his family asks me about his care. Even though I will be living a bit further away from him, it will be a joy to stay connected with the pets and people who have made my time in Massachusetts so special.
