Your work location should drive your selection of living arrangement.
Psychiatry residency: I'll guess Baylor, UT Southwestern, or Parkland. Those are all closer to downtown Dallas than anything in the suburbs, so any neighborhood or apartment complex (safe, convienent, affordable - pick two) north of I-30 and south of 635, west of 75 and east of I-35 will be tolerable.
DART is great, it is clean and efficient; but it's usefulness depends entirely on your starting point and your destination. It does not offer a comprehensive means of moving around the area in a timely manner. (I used it for four years to commute. That was possible because I had an apartment a short walk away from the station, and the job was likewise a short walk from the station on the other end.)
Public transportation is not a viable means of transport in DFW. Look at me: Public transportation is not a viable means of transport in DFW. You will need a car.
No snow. We get ice more regularly than accumulation of snow, so we have limited equipment or facilities to clear streets. Winter precipitation = armageddon.
End of April until end of September it's hotter than a two-dollar pistol, so outdoor activities are very limited.
Tex-Mex is distinct from Mexican food. Both are good, but it's not the same thing.
Liquor stores are closed on Sunday (and New Year's day too, I think).
Entertainment districts are spread out:
- Deep Elum
- Lower Greenville
- Addison
- Plano Legacy
Let me guess: This choad thinks that "before all this bullshit started happening to us" is any time before April 12, 1861.
You sons a bitches! I'm in!
For me, when I fee like drinking, either out of habit or out of FOMO, the Buddhist teachings help me to step back and observe that thought, feel that feeling, and recognize those are just waves on the ocean.
That allows me to focus on being the ocean. The wave will pass.
Giving in to the temptation or desire to drink will merely prolong the feeling of discomfort and dissatisfaction.
Letting the desire subside puts me in a better place to remain grounded and centered and clear-headed.
Then there are the many practical benefits of this as well: no hangover, no regrets for drunken escapades, money stays in my pocket, etc, etc.
The idea of having a judgement-free support community who can walk with you are on the sober path is an essential part of any recovery effort.
Find a group you like, with people you like and who like you.
How Do the Buddhist Teachings Help You on Your Recovery Path?
For me, when I fee like drinking, either out of habit or out of FOMO, the Buddhist teachings help me to step back and observe that thought, feel that feeling, and recognize those are just waves on the ocean.
That allows me to focus on being the ocean. The wave will pass.
Giving in to the tempatation or desire to drink will merely prolong the feeling of discomfort and dissatisfaciton.
Letting the desire subside puts me in a better place to remain grounded and centered and clear-headed.
Then there are the many practical benefits of this as well: no hangover, no regrets for drunken escapades, money stays in my pocket, etc, etc.
Right on! IWNDWYT Alcohol makes itself seem more important for relaxing or celebrating or coping than it is. "If something bad happens, you drink in an attempt to forget; if something good happens, you drink in order to celebrate; and if nothing happens, you drink to make something happen.â
That's part of the danger, really. You build up a tolerance. If you don't normally drink the beers every day, then you'll be feeling a bit wobbly after the third. After a year or two of 3 beers a night i didn't really feel buzzed, tipsy, or relaxed. I was drinking just so I wouldn't miss it.
I've been mostly sober for about six months. I was never a heavy drinker, but I got into a habit of drinking three or four beers a day -- every day. (sometimes six or eight) It became a reflex for me to have a few beers after work. Then, when I said to myself, "This isn't healthy" and tried to stop, it was not easy. I kept having beers even when I knew didn't really want to, I was just acting out of habit. That woke me up to the reality that if I went much further down that path, the alcohol would take over more than just my down time. Now I go two or three weeks without any alcohol, an no desire for it; but I do occasionally have a beer with my wife or with freinds. On those occasions only one or two. It's not a habit for me any more. Stop Drinking helped me navigate that. Hearing stories from others, and reading their experiences gives me a feeling of solidarity and helps me continue on a (mostly) sober path.