Courtesy of Lauren Savoie.
- Lauren Savoie, 34, an editor at Insider, moved from Boston to Kansas, with her husband, 36.
- She's lived in cities all her life and experienced culture shock when she moved there.
- After trying a rural life, Savoie has decided she is a "city kid," and plans to move to New York City next year.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Lauren Savoie, 34, an editor at Insider, who moved from Boston to Manhattan, Kansas. The conversation was edited for length and clarity.
I've been a city kid most of my life. With the exception of college, I've always lived within 20 minutes of the city. For the past decade I lived in Boston, where I met my husband.
A couple of years ago, my husband expressed interest in getting his masters in English. It was really important to him that he chose a program that would pay him to learn and teach, so that narrowed down the list of options, and we ended up with a dozen programs throughout the country.
I was really rooting for someplace like Oregon or Vermont. But as the process went on, and he learned more about the schools, it became really clear that the Kansas State University program was the best fit for him. So, a little over a year ago, we moved to Manhattan, Kansas, where the university is.
Eddie Brady
We get much more bang for our buck while renting here, but it's much harder to get around.
Both here and in Boston, we paid $1,700 per month, but we get so much more here.
In Boston, our $1,700 rent got us an apartment with two rooms: a bedroom, and living area, connected by a galley kitchen. It was tiny, rundown, and had no amenities whatsoever.
Here, for the same price, we live in a three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment. We have stainless steel appliances, central air, a dishwasher, a garbage disposal, in-unit laundry, a garage, a porch, and a yard. I don't think I would ever be able to afford a place in the city that has those amenities.
Courtesy of Lauren Savoie
But it's much harder to get around. When we moved out here, we had one car, which we got during the pandemic. Up until that point, I'd never owned a car, I had no need.
But, I quickly realized that when you are not in an urban or suburban area, having less than one car per person means that someone is stranded at home when the other person has the car.
So when my husband takes the car to work, I'm stuck in our house. That was something I was not prepared for.
There is more of a diversity of political views here
Politics are a lot more nuanced here. Having grown up in Boston, I feel like it's almost assumed that anyone you talk to is pretty liberal leaning. Whereas in Kansas, it's much more of a mixed bag.
When you meet people, it's not immediately apparent what political views they hold. I've met people from all walks of life here such as people who have come here for the university like we have and people that live on the military base nearby.
I also finally understand what people mean when they talk about East Coast elitism. Because sometimes I catch myself thinking that way too.
Courtesy of Lauren Savoie
I check myself on those feelings often, because I think that growing up in a more densely populated area affords you access to things that people who live in rural areas don't necessarily experience, and sometimes there's an attitude that neglects what it's like out in the middle of the country.
Staffing shortages and supply chain issues are much worse here
When I lived in the city, things like staffing shortages and supply chain issues were there, yes, but they are nowhere near as prominent as they are here in Kansas.
Nearly every week when we go to the grocery store, there is some staple that is completely out of stock. That's not something that I had ever encountered before. It would be such a rare occasion to go to the grocery store and find that they're completely out of milk or butter.
Then there are the staffing issues. Our regional airport, which is the lifelink between Manhattan, Kansas and the rest of the country, is closed for repairs, and they are nearly a month behind in those repairs because of construction staff shortages. Business and restaurants are also struggling from staffing shortages.
I love the regional airport but miss Boston's healthcare system
The one thing I really love about the regional airport is that it's tiny. Security doesn't open until an hour before the flight, and you can just roll up right before. While direct flights aren't really a thing for me anymore, the Manhattan, Kansas charter goes directly to Chicago, and Dallas on American Airlines, and from there, you can go anywhere.
Courtesy of Lauren Savoie
It is a premium flying experience. You don't have to wait, you walk right on the plane. They almost always gate check your bags so that you get your bag off the plane when you land in Chicago. And the flights are so small that you always have a row to yourself.
We were pretty much spoiled for healthcare living in Boston. When we moved here, my husband started getting really intense stomach pains and we probably went to the ER here five separate times. They finally diagnosed him, and told him he needed to have his gallbladder removed.
We had to drive an hour away just to get a surgery consultation, and we experienced so many issues with availability. We would call the doctor's office and no one would call us back even though we had a medical emergency. No one would call us back, no one would answer our messages. Our only option seemed to be going to the emergency room, which was extremely expensive.
My husband needed three surgeries. One to diagnose the issue, one to remove his gallbladder, and one because the initial surgery did not work. It was one of those things that felt like if we were home, we would have had this issue resolved so much faster than out here.
Courtesy of Lauren Savoie
I've learned that I am a city girl at heart, and would trade the extra space for a packed office and some great food
Being here has taught me what I value in a place. Kansas has a lot of green spaces. It's quiet. The people are incredibly friendly and kind. But I really value a feeling of culture, great food, and a faster pace of life.
I am dying to go into an office. I work remotely and my husband takes the car during the day so I'm isolated at home alone. While it's nice to have my own office in my house, I would much rather be able to go into an office and sacrifice that extra space to be around people all day.
That hasn't been an option here. I went to one co-working space here and I was the only person there for the entire day. I decided I don't need to pay extra money to just go sit and be alone someplace else.
To be totally honest, I really do not like it here. My husband always says, "you complain about Kansas too much," and it's probably true. There are some things I do like about it, but after my husband graduates, I get to pick where we live for two years — and we're moving back to a city, probably New York City.
marchello74/Getty Images
I think my husband and I are still trying to find the balance of what works for both of us.
I am 100% a city kid and when we think about our move to New York, I'm like "Let's live in Manhattan in that tiny shoebox apartment, where we'll be close to everything." But he's someone who likes the city but would love to have more space. He's like "Let's live in Westchester."
I'm definitely going to take the next two years to the situation that I really want to try out for us. But then after those two years, I feel like we're going to come to some sort of balance where it's not Kansas, and it's not Midtown Manhattan.
It's somewhere in the middle. Maybe it's Westchester, who knows, but some sort of place that has the amenities that suit us both.
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