Happy DC-iversary to Me!

Technically, I guess, my DC-iversary was yesterday, but I don't think it matters that much. Last year, June 1, 2010, was my first full day as a resident of the District of Columbia.  

Source

It has been an entire year. A lot has happened. A lot has changed.  A lot has stayed the same. And a lot has been spent on moving costs and rent.

I didn't really know what topic to write about that is best suited to my DC-iversary. My favorite things to do here? My best memories here? My least favorite things about the city?  

In the end, I decided to write about the biggest realizations I've had about DC since moving here. 

Living here is no piece of cake. I miss my car immensely, but there are some upsides to not having a car.  However, going to the grocery store is still a huge bitch.

 It is FREAKING HOT here. And humid. OH, SO HUMID. I thought, after living in Louisiana for 4 years, I would be prepared. I was wrong. I am already melting.

In light of the statement above, try to discourage friends and family from visiting you in the summer, when the city is overrun with tourists (read: school groups and... ahem... smelly Boy Scouts) and hotter than, well... you know. Encourage visits in the early fall and spring! 

Have you heard the expression "Washington is like Hollywood for ugly people." ? Its sort of true in my opinion. Except you should replace the word "ugly" with "normal-looking but typically smarter."  Make sense? 

The food here sucks. Unless you are willing to shell out $25 per semi-nice restaurant meal, there is very little good food here. But I think Louisiana may have completely ruined me in this aspect of life. (Oh, and FYI- the drinks here are expensive. Happy hours are ever-so-much-more important.) 

If you move here, you will meet people who understand you and your love for policy and politics better than anyone else you've ever known. In fact, you might realize that these things are not as important to you as they are to other people.  You know you live in Washington when you are not the only person working out while watching Meet the Press on Sunday morning. 

The metro is really cheap and clean, comparatively speaking. It sucks, however, in getting you close to where you want to go 80% of the time.  You walk a lot here, and if you don't like walking, get used to shelling out money for a cab or figuring out the bus system. If you don't have that kind of money, invest in comfortable shoes.

Rooftop anythings are cool: pools, decks, grills.  My building apparently recently planted an herb garden for everyone's use on the roof. Next to the pool. And the deck. And the grills. Score.

But you know what my biggest realization about the last year is? I actually have friends here now!! I moved to this city knowing maybe one other person. But now, I have friends. Actual friends that I can depend on in an hour of need. And I love them. And I am thankful for them every single day. A few of them have blogs (see: DC blogs list to the left + Cassie + Emily) but most of them do not blog. But I love them all so much! 

Thank you to all my friends in every city who have supported my move to D.C., asked me questions, made me feel special, made me feel not so alone, and helped me make a life here!