Greetings from Alexandria, Virginia!
I can’t believe it’s already the end of August! My blog is jumping straight from Ghana to Virginia. Luckily for me, I had a luxurious break to enjoy Michigan between these moves. I spent the past 6 weeks dancing to live music at Bells Brewery, visiting Emily and SarahLiz in Chicago, playing BananaGrams with the Sophisticats up north, eating my uncle Chris’s delightful tomatoes at Rocky’s campground, doing Russa yoga in Ann Arbor, and water skiing on Gull Lake.
I arrived in Virginia Wednesday evening, after spending Monday night with Zac and Becca in Oberlin and Tuesday with Madeline in Columbus, Ohio on my way. I thought the 7.5-hour drive by myself would be torture, but the changing landscapes were gorgeous and instead of lonely, I felt meditative and empowered. I coasted down the rolling hills for hours in my red Toyota Corolla singing Old Crow Medicine Show, Ingrid Michaelson, and Next to Normal.
Arriving in Alexandria, the magnitude of the distance hit me. The highways, the aggressive traffic, the high rises and polluted air seemed so far away from Michigan. I nearly had a breakdown that first night. Virginia seems to reflect the tumult of my life: within the space of a week the state is getting quaked, shaken, and blown about by a level 5 earthquake and now hurricane Irene. (As I type, my new roommate, Amy, and I are sitting in our cozy living room watching Irene blow in—we’re actually kind of excited for a good storm and an excuse to spend a lazy Saturday indoors).
However, as Irene still approaches, I feel much more optimistic about my new job, apartment, and life here in Virginia. I spent the past few days exploring the grocery stores, gelato shops, and yoga studios in the area. Yesterday I ran down to a neighborhood called “Old Town” and walked along the Potomac—I saw the capital building across the water! I think as I become more and more familiar with Alexandria, Arlington, and DC I will love them more and more.
Although I don’t start work until Monday the 29th, Amy introduced me to some IFC coworkers last night in Arlington. (I hope wasn’t inappropriate to have those first impressions at the bar!) I met several other Research Assistants who work on my floor and they gave me some of the scoop about the office. I actually had a random connection with one of the guys: he did the same study abroad program that I did in New Zealand, called EcoQuest!
I'm excited to start work soon and continue getting acquainted with my new home. I post further updates soon with details about the job.
Sending my love!
