Life in Another City

In a perfect world, everyone would go live somewhere else for awhile. I was fortunate to have lived in Alexandria, Virgina, a suburb of our nation's capital, for three years.

I was 27 years old, and my company had just been acquired. The new owners flew me to D.C. for an interview. I was smitten. When they offered me the job, I accepted without hesitation. My boyfriend, who had been employed at the same place as I, did not take a job with the new company, but reluctantly agreed to go with me. Together, we conquered D.C. (and its environs), mostly via the Metro, Washington's underground rail system.

On the weekends, we would choose a new area to explore. Or we'd go see an exhibit that was opening at one of the Smithsonian museums. Our adventures were amazing, and they drew the two of us closer together. We got married while we were living there, with six guests and our cat in our apartment. The ceremony was officiated by a justice of the peace, and we dug into a party tray, champagne and a devil's food cake (made by yours truly).

My routine included rising every morning and reading the Washington Post with my coffee. It was the one time in my life when I knew the most about what was going on in the world of politics. The Post is a great paper, and Katherine Graham is my hero (more about that another time). Living in DC was exciting, stimulating, and very, very cool. From my desk at work, I could look out and occasionally see the presidential helicopter, accompanied by a second chopper, flying down the Potomac.

Working in the Washington area also brought me in contact with people from all over the country (and the world). One guy in our office was born in Venezuela. There was the woman from Germany, another from China. And folks from across the U.S. There were one or two people who grew up in the area, but they were in the minority. It was the one time in my life when people teased me about my midwestern twang. (Who knew I had a twang?)

Our adventure ended when my father-in-law passed away, and we returned to the city of our birth to care for my mother-in-law. In a strange twist of fate, it was about that time that the company I was working for was acquired by a company in Akron, Ohio, a city which is just south of our home in Cleveland. I am still working there to this day.

Living in another city gave me a unique perspective. It opened my mind to worlds vastly different from my own. I met some wonderful people, learned about a city rich in history, and built up a storehouse of memories that I cherish.  The funny thing is, a lot of the people who grew up in the DC area were pretty blasè about it all -- they used to tease me that I saw more of the city than they had.

Which is why it's a good idea to live somewhere else. Even if it's just for a little while. It's hard to see where you are when you're there.