Long Overdue

Does anyone still read this anymore?

Well, I do. So for the sake of myself- here is a long winded blog entry about the last crazy three weeks of my life. You are welcome.

So it didnt really hit me that I was moving until...uhh I was moving. Even though my dad and brother came to clear out my apt a week before my last day in NY (which they were both REALLY thrilled about, let me tell you. especially my brother- never seen him happier), and I lived off an an air mattress, out of a suitcase and worked 12 hour days to finish everything up, everything still felt normal. That week was fun- spending time with NYC friends, walking around the LES just because I could, riding the subway because I knew I would miss that most of all- but it was still normal. My last day in the city was a beautiful, sunny and vibrant Saturday and I had to work an event for work before packing up my suitcase and air mattress and heading back to Jersey for the week. And although I was a little sad, I was mostly thinking that I hoped I got home before the sun went away and I could lay in my backyard with a beer and some magazines and enjoy the day.

(Seriously- I am a city mouse all the way, but I miss a good backyard on a sunny day)

The week in Jersey was stressful, because then it was actually time to think about moving 259 miles away. My coping mechanism to deal with such a HUGE CHANGE and not die of a panic attack was simple: finish one thing at a time and don't even think about the big picture. so, up until my last day of work I was thinking about only work. and then when i was home in Jersey there was everything else left to do- am i going to hire movers? where is my new place again? how do I move in? who will be helping me? how much is a uhaul? how am i going to pay for all of this? why cant someone just do this FOR ME?

but everything more or less figured itself out. I only cried once- although it was an embarassing and sobbing breakdown because the owner of my building was "mean to me" when I called to schedule a move in time. I picked up my uhaul on a Friday morning and my dad helped me load up the truck, i said goodbye to my dog for 10 whole minutes and drove myself down to Tia's in a truck that had more square footage than my entire apt in NYC.

move in day was surprisingly uneventful. although the "service elevator" we had to use was barely big enough to fit my little full size bed and we had to dismantle some furntture to get it up here. and to even get to the service elevator you had to go through this weird underground maze through the basement of the building. and there was a cleaning guy standing there leering at us as we were moving in who I am certifiably terrified of (and am also pretty sure is watching me right now on some sort of hidden camera, like a 20/20 special or something). but considering Tia and I moved everything in by ourselves- I was pretty impressed with how we did. I still have bruises- but the kind you are proud of- not the kind you get after falling out of your shoes after one too many beers.

So that was it. I was moved in and was officially a DC-ist. And the transition really wasnt as rough as I expected. I had already been working with the DC office for a few weeks so when I was officially there it didnt really feel like a dreaded "first day"- although I had a lot of work to catch up on. I really enjoy the people I work with- such strong DC personalities- although transitioning and trying to figure out exactly what they want as opposed to what NY wants is a little cumbersome. But I am getting there. I already have ten times the responsibilities I did in NY and I love it- I appreciate that they trust me so much already (although I am woman enough to admit that I am terrified of screwing up and almost went back to the office at least three times this weekend over silly things. the proving yourself stage is always the most difficult).

And surprisingly- although I felt like I would be alone almost all of the time- i am managaing to keep busy. My family is so close to me which I love and I have already seen them at least once a week since I've been here (in fact- immediately after I finish this post I will have to jump in the shower and metro myself out to White Flint to see my grandparents). I got to see my cousin before he moved to San Diego and my other two wonderful cousins are both here for the summer, before they continue on with their amazing lives in the fall. We had a cousin's night out last Friday which was a little rowdy followed by a perfect Father's day BBQ at my aunts on sunday, which wasnt rowdy but was delightful and made me realize that I am not really as far away from everything that feels comfortable as I thought.

In non family related activities, I have been keeping busy with friends- old friends from my Gtown days, close friends from Loyola and even a few from way-back-when. Its surprising how many people have ended up here (or at least stopped by on their way to ending up somewhere else).

DC is a lot more fun than I remember, although still a lot stuffier than I would prefer. I miss NYC- the rhythm of the city, the subway that really does go everywhere, the unique individuals who would be freaks and weirdos anywhere else, the good bar specials, cheap taxi rides, street festivals for no reason and the gyro guy on 17th and Broadway. Mostly I miss the feeling of knowing that I live in the best city in the world and feeling bad for all those suckers (read: me) who don't get to be a part of it.

But I am starting to appreciate DC- the fact that I have an apartment in a nice area that is big enough walk around in (with a COUCH and a tv and a walk in closet and a kitchen and air conditioning and an ELEVATOR- sweet jesus I love that elevator), how clean everything is, how smart and politically conscious everyone is, free museums, laying out by monument on a sunny day, the few good dive bars and the humidity that I am slightly embarassed to admit that I love (sorry, hair).

So basically- I am adjusting and for the most part, everything is going well. I promise to get back to writing more interesting things soon.