Photo by Kadarius Seegars on Unsplash

This week the temperatures dropped to minus 12 degrees (10 Fahrenheit). 

So it was only logical to go outside wearing just a T-shirt 👕. 

Mom, don't get mad; it was purely for science! According to the Wim-Hof method, my body will adapt to low temperatures if I gradually condition myself. So in a matter of seconds, the air between my skin and clothes turned freezing cold. It felt like the sweat that evaporated from my body immediately froze. 

To sum up my ten minutes out: it was an interesting experience. Now I wonder what minus 20 will feel like 😃. I'll keep you posted.

As we're approaching the six months mark of our Boston journey, I will take this opportunity to share our tips for a positive relocation experience. 

In the first part of today's article, I compiled a schedule for your first day abroad. In the second part ("appendix"), I describe how my dear wife and I approached the move. 

As someone who went through the relocation process (twice!), I have a lot to share.

So without further ado, I bring you the 10 most valuable steps for a successful first day of relocation. 

Enjoy!

"If life were predictable, it would cease to be life, and be without flavor."
- Eleanor Roosevelt

Table of contents

1. Main Article - 10 Steps to Take on Your First Day of Relocation

2. OMFS World

3. Stuff (App, Gear)

Main Article - 10 Steps to Take on Your First Day of Relocation

😱 Before coming here, I tried preparing myself by reading online, but I got confused. 

So much contradicting and outdated information!

Going through relocation, coming back home, and relocating again three years after, had me learning things the hard way. So I sat down and summarized all the necessary (and updated) information for you. I can confidently say that as long as you follow these simple steps in this specific order, it gets pretty simple.

😎 So here are the 10 steps, conveniently organized into a schedule. Don't trust the nay-sayers out there! It can all be done in one day. 

For the record, I've done it in half the time 🤙.

07:30 - Have breakfast. Your hotel will probably serve you a weird egg omelet, yogurt, cheerios, bananas, and bad coffee. Don't say I didn't warn you.

08:00 - STEP 1 Sign up for Amazon Prime 🏬. It will allow you to have same-day or one-day shipments for free. (Start with 30 day free trial, 6 months if you're a student).

08:05 - STEP 2 Print out your i94 🪪. This is proof that you entered the United States and will be asked to present it. Follow this link and fill in your details. Save the i94 to your email and print it at your hotel.

08:15 - Go up to your room and change into business casual 👔. You want to leave a good impression in your meetings today! Take your laptop, passport, i94, VISA, i20 (or equivalent), and all your US employer documentation to your appointments.

08:30 - STEP 3 Buy and set up a sim card 📱. You'll need a local US number today, not an international one. Don't order one and wait for it to arrive! Just walk into a Best Buy store and buy a card you can use immediately. I use Mint Mobile.

09:30 - STEP 4 Install Uber and Lyft on your phone 🚘. You can use your brand-new US number and your international credit card. Unless the public transportation is highly efficient (New York style), you will invest in Uber/Lyft to move you around today. It will be worth it.

10:00 - STEP 5 Apply for a social security card 🪪. You need to start an application and come to the social security office. Ensure you have all the necessary documents (see the form for details). Call your local social security office (you can find it online) to make sure you go to the right branch that serves your district.

11:30 - STEP 6 Open a bank account 🏦. Bank of America is the most efficient for foreign visitors. Don't bother with the rest.

Set up an appointment (which can be scheduled online a few weeks ahead), and bring your passport and previous bank documentation. Optional: Bring documentation stating your future salary in the US and your permanent US address. In my first relocation, I used my work address to open a bank account, but it was cumbersome.

At the end of your appointment, you will have a bank account number and a temporary checkbook that you can use immediately. Now you can deposit money into your account, so bring US Dollars with you 💵 (up to 10,000$ in cash is allowed when entering the US). You will receive your debit card in the mail after a few days, and a credit card after a week.

13:00 (1pm) - STEP 7 (optional) Sign the lease for your home 📝. Ask the landlord for the details of the gas, electricity, and water companies. You can use your new checks to pay the landlord and be sure to take a copy of the lease with you. 

14:00 (2pm) - Have lunch. Treat yourself to a cold one🍺 or a cheeky glass of wine🍷, as you won't have any more meetings today. 

15:00 (3pm) - STEP 8 Call the gas⛽️, electric⚡️, and water 🚿companies, and provide your bank account number for billing. Since you will only have one form of identity (passport), they may ask you to email them some documents.

16:30 (4:30pm) - STEP 9 Sign up online for a home internet provider ☎️. I use Xfinity. You can have the router delivered or pick it up at one of their centers.

16:45 (4:45pm) - STEP 10 Apply online for a US driver's license 🚙. A US driver's license is a form of identity. Having two American forms of identity (a social security number being your other one) will make your life easier. You can use your lease and new internet account as proof of residency. Use the online application to schedule an appointment at the DMV. 

17:15 (5:15pm) - Take the rest of the day off. You have completed almost all the necessary steps for your relocation!

In the following week or so, you'll receive your checks 💰, debit card 💳, credit card 💳, and social security card in the mail.

Sometimes you do what you feel like. A Boston Celtics fan decided not letting his camera-time go to waste. 

Appendix - Relocation, the Sharon-Duo way

😳 The first few days (or weeks) of the relocation can be really stressful, and many things need to be taken care of on both sides of the world.

💕 Although having your significant other by your side throughout the move may seem like a good (and romantic) idea, it's actually making both of you experience high levels of stress. 

🧳 There's no benefit in spending time as a family with a pile of suitcases in a hotel, and you don't need each other to sign a lease or go to the bank. 

👦 👧Throw the children into this mix, and you're one step away from a nervous breakdown. Imagine preparing them lunch in an apartment without electricity because the previous tenant forgot to pay the bill.

💃 🕺 My dear wife and I (= the Sharon Duo) approached our relocation as an international team. 

I came first to Boston and handled the move-in. That included all the billing, paperwork, cleaning the apartment, replacing 19th-century furniture, and figuring out all the kinks and tricks of Boston's day-to-day life. My dear wife did all the process of moving out. That included packing, taking furniture apart, and donating or storing the rest. She did it while caring for the kids, who benefited from staying in their comfort zone during this time. 

🏡 When my dear wife and kids came to Boston, they walked into an entire setup apartment, beds made, towels hung, and food in the fridge. Right from the get-go, my dear wife had a US phone number, credit card in her wallet, public transportation ticket, and Uber/Lyft set up on her phone. 

🙂 That alleviated the move-in process for her and our kids, and I didn't have to experience the moving-out ordeal. 

👵 A huge added bonus was my mother-in-law accompanying my dear wife and kids and staying with us for a while. But even without that substantial help, if we had to do it all over again, we wouldn't change a thing. 

💃 🕺The Sharon Duo method may seem extreme initially, but we highly recommend it.

💪 So these are my 10 steps for a successful relocation to the US. It may seem complicated at first, but it's really not. Relocation is not easy, but the essential bureaucracy can be done in a day. Guaranteed.

OMFS World

🥼For the OMFS resident - Know how to intubate! It took me around 100 intubations until I felt confident enough to handle most situations independently. That includes limited mouth opening, small hyoid-to-mentum distance, limited jaw protrusion, and nasal intubations. Learning how to intubate is essential, and your anesthesia rotation is an excellent opportunity to hone this skill.

🩺For the non-MD medical professional - The four Centor criteria for strep-throat (streptococcal pharyngitis) are: fever>38.5, anterior cervical tender lymphadenopathy, absence of cough, and tonsillar exudates. With these, you'll assess the probability of strep throat and the need for further testing and/or treatment. The lack of all four will help you rule out strep throat.

Stuff

📱Application I use - Google Sites. In today's digital age, having a website is essential for any individual or business 💻. It allows you to create a digital presence and reach more people. A website can showcase yourself or your business, provide information, and act as a platform to express yourself and share your thoughts with the world. 

💰 Many companies will be happy to walk you through the process, but it comes with a cost: They require a monthly payment, and your website will be hosted on their systems. For these two reasons, I use Google Sites. 

You don't need specialized coding or high skills; just a free Google account and the desire to create a website. It's pretty much like preparing a Powerpoint slide with your picture on one side and a short description of yourself on the other. Hit publish, and you're done. 

The only thing I do recommend paying for is having your own custom domain (mine is www.shaysharon.com). It cost's around 10-15$ a year, and it will allow you to keep the same address, even if you decide to change your hosting service.

"If you need a machine and don't buy it, then you will ultimately find that you have paid for it and don't have it." - Henry Ford

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💡Gear I use - Ronin X6 Headlight : I've used it for the last four months and wanted to add a long-term review. I love the battery life and the ability to turn it on and off without breaking sterility. Setting it to 40% is best for me, so a single battery lasts me through 12 hours of surgery. Even if I need the scrub nurse to change the battery - it's a straightforward process without worrying about breaking sterility. I absolutely LOVE the built-in indicator on the batteries and the fast charger. For more details, refer to my previous review in issue #4. 

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Epilogue 

That’s it for this issue.

I also started publishing on Medium and Substack, so you can read and comment there. 

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Have a great weekend!

Shay