Goodbye DC; the memories will remain

In less than 24 hours I will no longer have the pleasure of calling the DC area (DC, VA, and MD) my home. In 2006 when I literally packed up my whole life and moved from Ohio, I never thought I would have the honor to even consider this my home. DC has brought me down so many times and yet picked me up. I remember my first New Years here. The one where I got so drunk that I asked random guys for a ride home at the metro. Dan thought I was crazy. Those random dudes thought I was crazy. Hell, I probably was crazy. But it was then that I learned that this city could kick my ass if I let it. I was no longer home in Ohio or Pennsylvania. Everyone wasn’t as nice as I perceived them to be.

Before I moved to DC, I originally wanted to be a teacher for de*f and hard of hearing students. That quickly changed and I dropped out of the program I’d been accepted to before I even moved here. So when I got here I really had no direction. I ended up taking a job at a non-profit in DC as an event planner. I am not an event planner – I just played one. I was working a full time job with a full time class load in a city I didn’t understand nor could I get around without getting lost. Finally in the spring, I figured out what I wanted to do: became a psych*logist for de*f and hard of hearing students. I applied to the program and, surprisingly, got in. Somehow, I realized there was a reason for my journey to this politically-charged city. I had finally found my place.

Then, there were the people I met. I met so many people through Dan, school friends, and work friends and if there is one thing I learned, it is this: The people you meet in a tri-state area will only prove to be your true friend if you don’t always drive/metro to them. For example, it was a pain in my rear end to drive from Maryland to Virginia especially during or around rush hour. However, if it was for a good friend, I’d do it. Would they do the same for me? That’s always the question that I had in the back of my mind and as it turns out, there are many people who wouldn’t and a few who would. Sadly, I found that out the hard way but I’m happy I did. I always know how to spot the good friends in a city like this.

Then there’s the whole “tri-state area thing.” I was always in awe of the fact that at one point I lived in Maryland, went to school in DC and worked in Virginia. Being from Pennsylvania and Ohio, that didn’t happen. I also learned that if you lived in Maryland or Virginia, you typically had a sore mouth for the other state. I, personally, love both states where I’ve had the pleasure of living. I lived in Silver Spring, Maryland from August 2006 until May 2009 and I loved it because my rent wasn’t too high (compared to living in DC or a nice area in VA) and it was extremely diverse. My high school in Ohio wasn’t diverse at all. It was primarily white with very little interaction with other races. Silver Spring taught me so much about the human spirit and just the human race in general. You know the best thing I learned? Everyone wants to be loved. So, let’s LOVE everyone. (Btw, if you are moving to Silver Spring and you need an apartment recommendation, email me).

Virginia has it’s own charm. It’s very historical and the shopping is AmAzInG. Can we all sing “Tyson’s Corner” in unison? There are SO MANY stores in that mall that it literally takes FOREVER to walk from one side of the mall to the other. I know this on a personal level because I used to work at the Apple Store at Tyson’s. I’ll never forget my first day there. We had a 15 minute break and I left searching for the food court which didn’t look so far on the map. HA! It was like a mile away. So my advice for you is if you visit Tyson’s, wear comfortable walking shoes and have a good breakfast. The other funny thing about Virginia is that the people who grew up there are very particular that they say they’re from “Northern Virginia.” At first, I didn’t understand this. But I soon realized that Northern Virgina is totally different from the rest of the state and therefore, they need to distinguish themselves.

Then, there is the District of Columbia. I never had the pleasure of living there but I would have loved to. There’s a certain charm about the District that’s hard to explain unless you come visit. First, it’s not expensive to have a good time. The museum’s are free and you can find restaurant deals everywhere. Also, DC has the ability to give you whatever you want. For example, if you want a dive bar where you can where a tee shirt and jeans, you can find it. If you want to dress up and be fashion forward, head to Georgetown. There are so many options! This is crazy considering DC is only a 10-mile radius. Oh and it’s important to mention that it may take you an hour to get through 5-10 miles worth of traffic.

I want to touch on the monuments. The monuments I didn’t think would affect me as much as they have. Yes, I knew I’d be in awe when I saw them for the first time. But be in awe every time? Nah, I didn’t think that would happen. But it did. When I drove to school everyday, I had the pleasure of seeing the Washington Monument from afar. It’s extremely inspirational. I don’t know how else to describe seeing it daily. Not to mention that when I drive from DC to VA and I pass more monuments right as I see the “Welcome to Virginia” sign. I’m really going to miss that.

During my time here I’ve also become more of an adult. It’s scary to know that when I got here I was only 22 years old fresh out of college. Now I’m 25 and about to do my internship. I’ve become a better person not only to other people but to myself. Which is important if you want to take care of the ones you love. I’ve become a better girlfriend to Dan, for example. I no longer think it’s “all about me.” Now I think it’s all about him which makes moving so difficult to do. However, I know if I don’t move I won’t be the best person I can be to him or anyone else.

So with that said, I am now stepping down as a DC blogger and officially am calling myself a Pittsburgh blogger. I’m excited about this because Pittsburgh is the town I was born and I lived in for 13 glorious years (until I moved to Ohio in middle school). Luckily, I am in good company because I’ve “virtually” met some wonderful Pittsburgh blogger’s who I am delighted to hopefully befriend in person. Maybe Pittsburgh will bring out the best in me? Who knows. All I know is that my heart is open to this new chapter in my life.

Next time you see me, I’ll be blogging from Pittsburgh!