I've been in DC for a little over two weeks now, and it feels like nothing and everything has changed all at the same time. As far as things happening, it's been a whirlwind. I've moved to Alexandria, just outside of DC. I work two days a week at the national branch of a large nonprofit, where I am continually blown away by the scope of the work they do and the resources they have. I found a part time job as - surprise surprise - a barista at a local bakery, where I work a few days a week to fill my extra free time and earn some more money.
On days when I'm not working, I'm exploring. I ride the Metro downtown and scope out new areas of the city, walking miles and miles and filling in the gaps of my mental map of DC. After months of staying in my hometown and having light, easy days of almost nothing to do, it's nice to dive into a consistent 50-hour work week and feel like I'm accomplishing something.
On the other side of things, however, nothing has changed. I'm still unemployed come the end of August, having turned down a job offer that would have taken me to the Twin Cities but wasn't a good fit. In the two weeks I've been here I've seen how great living in the greater DC area can be, yet also how incredibly isolating it can be to move somewhere where you know no one. Building a network of relationships is difficult, especially when you're not sure where you'll be in two months.
Not to say I'm hosting my own little pity party for one, but rather to say: it's frustrating being stuck between being a student and a full time employee somewhere, still trying to figure out where I'm meant to be and what I'm meant to be doing. I'm so ready to be somewhere and just be there; I've never been a fan of hanging in the middle, and I'm ready to settle down and let some roots grow.
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