My husband, our 2-year-old daughter and I moved from San Francisco to Boston in December 2000. Making a decision to move from a city like San Francisco will, more often than not, elicit questions from friends and family, like `Are you sure?’, `Is there some way you can change your mind?’ and `Are you crazy?’. And what made it seem even crazier was that we moved to the Northeast in the dead of winter. Needless to say, I was not optimistic about my new life and was skeptical about the opportunities that Boston could offer my daugther and me after my husband was sucked into his first term at Harvard Business School.
Now, I can honestly say this experience – both as a `partner’ at HBS and as a resident of Boston – has far exceeded my expectations. As children’s coordinator for the HBS Partner’s Club, I may seem to have a vested interest in making this claim. However, it was because my expectations were exceeded that I felt strongly about getting involved in the Partner’s Club to carry on the support for families that has helped me enjoy my time here in Boston.
Community of Families
Moving presents many challenges for families, both emotionally and logistically. The Partner’s Club aims to ease this transition by bringing together parents at HBS who can be resources for each other. In addition, there are a variety of events and activities that can make even a New England winter bearable. For us, weekly playgroups gave us the chance to get out of our closet-sized apartment and enjoy the company of other children and parents. The co-op preschool was an ideal venue for my daughter to meet other children her own age. We have explored the greater Boston area with HBS friends during our monthly field trips. And the monthly evenings out with other mothers have been a fun way to have some grown-up conversations in a relaxed atmosphere.
Most importantly, the friendships that I have developed with other parents here are relationships that will last a lifetime.
No matter what your situation – whether you are pregnant, have a newborn, a child in grade school, or all of the above – the Partner’s Club strives to meet your needs and enhance your experience here at HBS. Not to say that we have it all covered, because we still have so much to learn. However, speaking as a parent, I know that I’d still be pining away for San Francisco (at least more desperately than I do now…) had it not been for the support of the Partner’s Club.
