Sayonara D.C.

On Saturday at 9:20 AM (about an hour behind schedule), I officially got on the parkway and drove out of the city that's been my home for the past 7 years.  It was a little more emotional than I was expecting (but I always assume I have a heart of stone and am surprised to discover I have feelings) so please indulge me in some nostalgia.

D.C. I'm going to miss you.  I'm not going to miss your summer swamp-like heat or the B.O. of the sweaty tourists riding the metro or ridiculous yuppiness of the Logan Whole Foods.  But I am going to miss running along the mall and seeing the Washington Monument on foggy mornings.  I'm going to miss bottomless brunch at El Centro and last call at Bar Pilar.  When I moved here in June 2006, I never expected the love-hate relationship I would develop with this place or that it would be such a big part of my life.  

It's the city where I made some of the closest friends one could ask for, learned to drink (responsibly of course), realized that late night Chinese food from Yum's on 14th street is never a good idea but it's better than trying to cook for yourself at 3 in the morning and that jumbo slice is never good sober.  It's the city where I went through some of the hardest, darkest times in my life and some of the happiest, where I fell in love, learned who I am (and how much I don't know about myself), and met people who became like family (with the plus side that you don't have to love them, but you do).  

I'd go through and list all the people and who've been a part of my time in DC, but you know who you are and I feel like I've blubbered through too many goodbyes over the past few weeks already.

New York, you have a lot to live up to but I feel like you're going to be up for the job ;) 

Goodbye D.C.!