The Monroe Street Journal

Issue date: 4/7/08 Section: Features

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Our time in Ann Arbor started with a bang… or maybe it was more of a Ka-Blam! accompanied by bright light. In any case, it turns out that a minor explosion at the gas grill is a great ice breaker.

Little did we know, the people who'd just shared a heart-stopping moment and a good laugh at Jeremy's singed forearm hair would become our family here at Michigan.

People talk about a "sense of community" a lot, but I've really felt it here.

When we arrived nearly two years ago, it was so exciting meeting other partners with kids, comparing stories and exchanging email addresses. My sister said, "It's like your freshman year in the dorms… except that instead of talking about the best party this weekend, you're talking about the best health insurance."

And I really needed that camaraderie during the long dark hours of recruiting season, the roller coaster ride of interview season, and (hooray!) the celebrating when offers finally came in.

When our third child, Willa, was born last spring, it couldn't have gone smoother had my mom lived next door. We had friends to take the older kids while we were in the hospital and a steady stream baby-admirers and dinners when we came home.


We've shared joyous and devastating moments together, but I'll miss all the little ways that we're a community too:
• Group walks to the Dairy Queen, which raise speculation as to whether we're a day care on a field trip.
• A friendly phone call to alert me that we have again left our side van door open, and it is raining / snowing / filling with unseemly large Michigan squirrels.
• Popping over to the park after dinner (also known as before dinner if you are from Argentina) and knowing we'll see friends.

I feel outrageously lucky to have been part of this community, with neighbors who are friends and friends who are family. As soon as the snow melts, we'll fire up the grill for an appropriate farewell.

Ka-blam! The Maynors are outta here.

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