washwords

Despite my fabulous spa vacation, and despite my snarkery about all things DC, in truth this is where I’m meant to be.

I loved relaxing on the beach, getting spa treatments and I’m grateful (SO grateful) to have the resources and time to treat myself so. I do feel refreshed in a way I know I desperately needed (the first clue was when I started getting annoyed, genuinely angry, at people asking me to do, you know, like WORK, at work). But… ultimately? the relaxed lazy meandering pace? not really for me. I’m a city girl at heart, at core, specifically a DC girl.

Getting back to town, we walked straight from gate to waiting cab to a heated treatise on what’s wrong with the coming fare system (okay, to be fair, I initiated this, wanting to hear it from the source), families today, uneducated people and the multitude of “other topics” our cab driver had to share. Further it turned out that he had once lived in my building, many moons ago. “Rats like lions!” he says jubilantly!

“Thanks for telling my mom,” I say. Fortunately she’s too caught up in the romance of “what are the odds – he lived in this building!?”

I’m not surprised a bit, but equally tickled, if for opposite reasons. I’m consistently running into people from all walks of life, races, ages and philosophies who once lived in my building. It’s one of those huge old fabulous Washington places. In fact (Happy Birthday, George) a very good friend of my boyfriend once lived in the VERY SAME UNIT I temporarily stayed while my apartment turned condo turned LUXURY condo.

It’s one of the many things I love about DC. Among the others:

• the sheer beauty. I love the architecture, the moderate yet distinct seasons, the thought and significance of each tree and shrub and neighborhood
• the self-importance, be it youthful exuberance or deserved achievement or pure arrogance, I like cockiness and superiority and we’ve got it
• the pace – I like that people have places to go, things to see. I like wondering what convention they’re attending, or what hearing. I like that we matter.
• the way people talk about politics always, the other folks in bars at other cities discuss sports. Sure, washington’s getting some sports now, but our true sport will always be politics
• the talking period. DC likes to talk, pontificate, question, argue, protest, persuade. So do I.
• and finally, most importantly, because it’s home. Much like Goldilocks this chair (and bed and porridge) is jussssttt right, not too big (NYC) or too small (home, upstate ny) too hard ( L.A.) or too soft ( San Fran), too hot (Florida) or too cold ( Minneapolis), it’s just right, for me anyway, snarks and all

Editor’s note: Okay, it sounds implausible but I really forgot that I had written “why I DON’T hate DC” just a few short  weeks ago. Still, all the things in both posts are true and I guess I offer this second one up as TRUE proof!