Ready Or Not...

I know…no one has to remind me that I haven’t blogged in a bit because I am very aware of that. Yes, Enna Burning was my last post. Unfortunately I haven’t been doing much reading in light of the fact that I have been moving across the country. If you would have told me at the beginning of the summer that I would be sitting here, in my little blue room in Arlington, VA and wishing to be back in Logan, UT, I would have told you no way. But, here I am…wishing I was in Logan. No one really told me it would be so hard to move!! Leaving family, friends, and loved ones is really, really difficult. Who knew I was so attached to my life there?! I didn’t—until now I guess. Fortunately the modern age makes it easier to communicate, but losing proximity to those I love has been very, very hard.

Things that may seem kind of quirky on a vacation have now become things that I may hate. For instance: humidity. Why did I think I would want to live in a humid place? I am beginning to question my sanity. The random weird bugs, the massive amounts of people…all things that while traveling are okay because you know you will be leaving. But when looking down the road of 2 years, they don’t seem so okay. On the bright side, I have a washer and dryer in my apartment and they collect my trash every day. Yes, I put it on my porch and it is gone in the morning. Brilliant. [Hey, I am looking for anything at this point…] Oh, it is also the nation’s capital, so there are some pretty great sights around. Come visit!!

I LOVE the Library of Congress and the Washington Monument (I am excluding museums right now). The Library of Congress has amazing architecture and brilliant colors and lighting. And it houses thousands of books. The Library of Congress itself (not just the Jefferson Building) has 30 million books. 30 million!! Wow. I love books, but that is too much to comprehend. And the Washington Monument is quite the landmark. There is something about it that just makes me want to photograph it all of the time.

Okay, so the three day trip across the country went well. The second day was a bit rocky, but we are just forgetting that day ever happened. We took I-80 from Logan, so we got to see the beautiful states of Wyoming and Nebraska the first day. The first night we stayed in Council Bluffs. No sightseeing—this was a trip to merely get from Point A to Point B. Plus, by the time we were there it was approximately 1 in the morning. And it was humid. I don’t think I have experienced humidity like that since China and it was pretty overwhelming. So Day 2 we started through Iowa with all of its picturesque rolling fields of corn. I only had one small emotional breakdown outside Des Moines—I believe, but then I was good to go. We passed through Illinois, which looked a lot like Iowa. Then it was through Indiana. By this time it was dark, so who knows what the state looks like (probably like Iowa and Illinois). There was a tornado warning in the counties we were driving through though, which kept me awake. I just kept thinking, I guess if this is the way I am supposed to go, I guess this is how it will be. We ended up staying in Toledo that night. Day 3 dawned much brighter than Day 2, and we made good time through Ohio and on to Pennsylvania. At this point, the scenery got much prettier as we were amongst a lot of trees. Pennsylvania was beautiful and I really would like to go explore more sometime. [Side note: Although it is very unnerving not to have mountains around, the trees are really nice. It is amazingly green and the trees can hide millions of people really quite well. The East is lucky to have them.] We made it into DC in good time, and the driving was over. Hallelujah!

We had arrived at my new place. It is quite a charming little neighborhood really. Townhomes built in the 40’s, red classic brick…very nice. But awfully confusing because everything looks the same!! Ahhh… It is very easy to get turned around as I have discovered firsthand. Just imagine my place multiplied by like 100 (more really…) and there you have Fairlington. But in all reality, it seems really nice and safe. Luckily for me, I get to dust off the parallel parking skills I never had and put them into use because that is how you park here. My roommate Jenny is very nice and helpful. She and my dear friend Julie both got me flowers and truly that was so comforting on a day that was so unnerving. My room is small (but cozy) with light blue paint, with one wall done to look like clouds. At some point I will have to repaint because I feel as if I am sleeping in a nursery, but right now I do not have the energy.

I then had visitors (YEAH!!) up until today, so I have been seeing the sights. Wow! There is so much to see. It was a little bizarre to think that I live here now, so if I miss something, I can always go back and see it later. Very strange. Washington DC has a lot to offer and I am sure it is a great place. Right now it is all so strange and unfamiliar, so I tend not to love it. Everyone I have met for the most part has been very helpful. Like I said before, I am sure I will meet great people, (I already know my friends like Liz and Julie are great! I am glad they are here!) but it is hard being away from everyone at home that I love. It was impossible really to say goodbye, but a new adventure has begun I suppose. [However, if I show up back in Logan, don’t be entirely surprised!!]

Farewell from now from the little blue room. Things should start settling into place and more posts will follow. Promise. Maybe written from the metro (Which I will catch most days from the Pentagon. Yep, the Pentagon. Makes you feel safe, until you remember Sept. 11th.)