An Introduction to D.C.

We have arrived in our nation's capital. The compromise built on a swamp. The district, not state, that has one representative who cannot vote and no senators. Residents weren't allowed to vote for the president until 1961. "Taxation Without Representation" decries D.C. license plates.

Politics are abuzz, as they should be. Political commercials are aired. Full newspaper pages are dedicated to politics. Protests of any size, subject, or nature are staged. Politicians are the celebrities here. There's such excitement during an election year -- though I imagine it never really dissipates. Politics is a beast that never sleeps.

The city, it bustles. And the metro train, it whistles while it carries its patrons home. The rock and hum of the train soothes me as every Best Song to Listen to on a Train randomly comes up on my ipod. Random acts of kindness humble me and overheard conversations entertain me. And I'm breathless when the train goes over the Potomac River.

It's beautiful to peek out at the city through the Grecian-style columns of what seems like ancient buildings. The capitol. The supreme court. The library of congress. Etc.

The city brings people from all over. Very few people that are in D.C. actually grew up here. A city of transplants and visitors. All the different languages you hear on the street meld together like instruments in a symphony.

So much to do and see. A National Book Festival and an economic bail-out protest going on at the same time -- just a reflecting pool separating them. The possibilities of things to do and see are endless. Perhaps a garden of sculptures and installations to stroll through -- particularly intriguing is the Lichtenstein optical illusion.
Perhaps a gallery full of paintbrush strokes from the likes of Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Degas, Gauguin -- they beg for you to get up close and really look; taunting you to touch the ridges, the texture, the oil, the colors.
Perhaps the cobblestone streets of Old Town Alexandria with the quaint little shops, galleries, cafes, and restaurants with perfect little awnings to tuck yourself under, away from the rain. Past the dog-friendly shops, down by the water there is an old torpedo factory that has been converted into art studios/galleries for local artists. These artists produce their pieces of art in the same space weapons of war were produced.
Perhaps a sporting event or two. D.C. is one of the few cities with five professional sports teams. They have an NFL team (Washington Redskins), NBA team (Washington Wizards), NHL team (Washington Capitals), MLB team (Washington Nationals), and MLS team (DC United). On game days, the metro is full of fans wearing their team's colors.

The humidity hasn't been too bad. Most days it feels quite nice. Only one day thus far did it feel really muggy. But that humidity brings gorgeous thunder storms. A storm the other night lasted over 2 hours. I cannot complain there.

The job search is underway as we take advantage of our free month here. Hopefully only good things come out of the job/apartment search. If not, I suppose we'll join the ranks of those with Master's and PhDs that are working at FedEx-Kinkos and on road work crews. Kidding.

It's hard to feel settled right now. We can feel acquainted, but not settled. This is a result of being in D.C., but not in the place where we're going to end up. Where will our apartment be? What will be our neighborhood? What will be our grocery store? What will be our metro stop? We can get familiar with the city in general, but it's not quite yet our city. That will come with "permanent" residence. Despite that, I'm loving it here and I'm really happy to be here.