As I write this from a trendy Clarendon (a bro-tastic Arlington, VA neighborhood) coffeeshop, it is bitterly cold outside. It has also been a month since we left Hawaii, so this is the first time I've had the chance and/or have enough of an update to write. While it's still too early to fully make up my mind about this place, I can say this: Northern VA/D.C. has welcomed us with open arms! There is so much to love about this place, and all of our big changes so far have been relatively smooth.
First of all, we survived a military move! Chris is an old pro, but I'm new to this game. Nothing was broken and the actual delivery went well. We still have tons of stuff to put away, which doesn't get done very quickly when you're both working, and MOUNDS of paper and boxes permeate our living space, but that's just normal stuff. Everyone told me to brace myself for high value items being broken and/or our crate falling off the ship in the middle of the sea, but it seems that we dodged that bullet.
The weather here has been great, except for today. It hasn't been colder than Ithaca, so as far as I'm concerned, that's great news! It snowed a bit last night, which was delightful! Today, however, it's bitterly cold. I got in the car to venture a few miles down the road to try this new coffee shop, and while driving FOUR MILES WITH MY GLOVES ON, my hands were in extreme pain. The other big thing everyone told us to brace ourselves for was traffic. It's definitely a thing, and I don't think I'll ever be able to drive anywhere aside from local neighborhood hangs without a GPS, but it hasn't been terrible...knock on wood. Chris has had an average commute considering that he works a good bit away, and I just drove in the direction of traffic a few towns over and wasn't at all intimidated. Tonight I drive over an hour to a hair appointment in the thick of rush hour, so wish me luck!
Work: it's still new, but I really like remote work! I don't work a ton of hours but still feel busy. There is a lot on my plate, which I like. I have an upcoming exam for grad school on top of unpacking, doing the normal move things (cable, internet, car registration, learning where the post office is, etc.), and I honestly don't get everything done that I set out to do each day. When the exam is over, I'm going to take a few days to relax and make sure we're settled, then begin volunteer work. I'm really looking forward to it! Even without "going to work" or having a new major activity here to meet new people, I've met a ton of people through some common friends. Perhaps the best part of D.C. living is that there are SO MANY people we know and love from all corners of our life. Not only do I have 5+ high school friends here, but one of my very best friends is here, and several Hawaii connections live nearby as well. Everyone has been wonderful about reaching out to help us get set up, but we honestly just haven't had the time to do anything. We're still not set up at home and we're both getting used to our work routines. I think that in two weeks, we should be set to start meeting up with old friends. I really want to make new friends as well (that might've been my favorite part about moving back home - I met SO many wonderful people who weren't from my childhood that it kept every day interesting), but know that'll come with time.
We are both so incredibly eager to jump into this new life. D.C. life is it's own thing. Hawaii has HILife and Ithaca definitely had its own vibe as well. I think I've just been so incredibly fortunate to live in places with really unique personalities. D.C. is no exception. There are countless amazing things to do and no shortage of restaurants and bars for us to try. We want to try them all while keeping up with our wedding diets and exercise! I'd love to see everyone I know ASAP, but there don't seem to be enough hours in the day. I know it'll come in time, so for now, I'll just keep focusing on getting our house to feel like a home.
I was so worried for this transition; I thought that I'd totally unravel and that I'd lose my sense of self and have nothing to do. I don't think that situation could be further from the truth! I definitely expect the worst, and was thankfully wrong. Of course, there is still a lot of time for me to get a pang of homesickness or to have a minor meltdown, but so far, so good. I can't believe that we are getting married in LESS THAN FIVE MONTHS AHHHHH. We have made good progress but still have a TON of wedding-related things to do. I told myself that once I got to March (bridal shower, dress fittings, mom visiting), things would fly by. That's still the case, but this time is ALREADY flying by!! There is so much to do and so much to look forward to that I don't have the chance to stop and lament anything. I get to work a bit, hopefully benefit SJV and my former students, and make a little extra cash. It's enough to keep my busy without biting off more than I can chew. I kept thinking that I should get another part-time job to supplement this one, but the school year here would conflict with our wedding and honeymoon plans. I kept thinking that I should find more work. I'm honestly glad that I didn't, because there is no way we would have cable, internet, cars, things set up, dinner made, etc. if I was gone too. This way, I can venture out, work a few hours, come home, study, set up, make some food, and take care of all of the moving errands. I would be so overwhelmed with two jobs, so I think I did it right. For now, I'll just wait to hear from PhD programs and hope that something comes my way. If that doesn't work out, I will gladly begin my job hunt and no doubt find something in one of these amazing school districts.
Real Estate: Our newest hobby is searching for homes on Zillow. We didn't think we'd be settled enough to buy yet, but are beginning to realize the investment that buying a home in this area would be, even if it's just a starter home. The only problem: $$$$$$$$$$$$$. I picked a neighborhood that I liked and ran a search for homes up to $500,000. There were barely any foreclosures! Ouch. Hopefully we'll begin working with a realtor soon and maybe we can even find our own place around the time we're married! Woo! It's exciting and totally daunting at the same time. Home prices here are no joke.
Finally: people are really friendly here! Everyone always totes Hawaii as the friendliest place, but people have been very helpful, courteous, and kind here. The people I knew (worked with, friends, family) in Hawaii were amazing, as were most random people you met. However, there were always a few loose cannons at restaurants, retail stores, or just roaming the street. I actually think that on average, people are friendlier here. We haven't had a rude encounter or a jerk driver yet, so that's good news. We feel very, very safe and are temporarily living in a gorgeous neighborhood with a public high school that makes HI's top private schools look average. There is so much to learn about this place, but our first month deserves two huge thumbs up! It's definitely better than I expected (and I expected great things!) and all has gone well. Hopefully we feel a little less busy soon, and hopefully we can see our HI clan very soon!
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