My New Dentist Life: Getting to know Columbia

By | September 22, 2015

Editor’s note: This is the latest article in a New Dentist Now blog series, My New Dentist Life, following a new dentist’s first year experiences out of dental school. The views expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author and are not intended to reflect the views, positions or policies of the ADA or the New Dentist Committee. To read previous articles in the series, visit ADA.org/mynewdentistlife.

Dr. Hobart

Dr. Hobart

This blog post was supposed to be about me attending a fun event in Columbia a few weekends ago — a food truck festival — but unfortunately my good friend had a bad luck day and got a nail in his tire on his way down to go to the event! Thankfully he lives close to me and we are able to get together from time to time!

Nonetheless, I have been having a lot of fun learning about Columbia and what it has to offer—pub trivia, comedy shows, farmer’s markets, running clubs, etc. Being from Phoenix, I am used to a big city with tons of things to do all of the time.  I might be a little bit ruined in that way.  It is difficult to find your niche in a new place sometimes, but knowing what you like to do is a great first step to finding things to do in any city!

  • I found pub trivia when I lived in Phoenix and loved it, so when I moved to Columbia, it felt natural to find a place to play!  For those of you who don’t know, pub trivia involves getting a group of people together over food and drinks and answering general knowledge trivia questions for fun (and for the chance to have your bill covered).  Thankfully Team Trivia is active in Columbia and there are several restaurants that offer it throughout the week!  It is a fun way to unwind after work and to think about something different, even if you don’t win!  (The questions here seem to be even harder than they were in Phoenix—Or maybe I’m just missing my amazing team!)
  • My office staff invited me to a popular spot here in Columbia called the Comedy House to see a stand up comedy show.  That was a lot of fun and seemed like the popular place to be! The comedians are usually local, so you get a lot of inside jokes for people who are native to the area.

    Build your own box of veggies from the farmer's market. As much as you can stuff in the box for $10.

    Build your own box of veggies from the farmer’s market. As much as you can stuff in the box for $10.

  • The Soda City Farmer’s Market is a popular event every Saturday morning. They close down Main Street for vendors to sell their delicious fresh foods and interesting crafts. The people watching is great, and it gives you a chance to explore the downtown area.  I love to grab an iced coffee and just observe the happenings.
  • One downside about Columbia is that lack of sidewalks along busy streets!  I love outdoor running and that is something that I have sincerely missed since moving here!  I loved being able to walk outside my door and run along the road (safely) for miles and miles in Phoenix.  I joined a gym, but I found that the treadmill is just not the same.  They have a group here called the Columbia Running Club that I just joined in the hopes of finding great places to run—there are some gorgeous parks with running trails here, like Sesquicentennial Park—and people to run with.
Character Brunch at Cape May Cafe at Disney World. From left, Dr. Christine Van Groesback, Dr. Hobart, ASDA Vice President Adrien Lewis, ASDA District 11 Trustee Laine Janzen, Dr. Kerolos Morkos and Dr. Daryn Lu.

Character Brunch at Cape May Cafe at Disney World. From left, Dr. Christine Van Groesback, Dr. Hobart, ASDA Vice President Adrien Lewis, ASDA District 11 Trustee Laine Janzen, Dr. Kerolos Morkos and Dr. Daryn Lu.

As much as I enjoy Columbia though, I am finding that my favorite thing about the city is my proximity to other cities and the friends who live there!  I have met up with my friend in Charlotte, North Carolina (which is only an hour north of Columbia) for brunch. I have also been close enough to take two quick weekend trips to Florida. Two weekends ago I met up with my friend who lives in the Tampa area and last weekend I met up with friends who were doing continuing education in Orlando and we went to Disney World.

The ability to meet up with friends in various different areas has been amazing.

Dr. Emily Hobart is a New Dentist Now guest blogger and an estranged Canadian who grew up in Glendale, Arizona, where she attended dental school at Midwestern University. She is now finding her way as a new dentist in Columbia, South Carolina. In her free time, she loves running, rock climbing, pub trivia, karaoke and traveling!

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