5 things I learned when I moved to the DC area, and 5 things I miss about it.

5 Things I Learned

1) There’s lots of people. And there’s a lot of people crammed into a smaller area. In the Southwest, there is quite a lot of people but there is much more space for everyone to spread out and have privacy — thanks urban sprawl.

2) People are waaaay more judgmental than in other parts of the USA. Social status actually means something. Of course, it holds value in the Southwestern U.S., but not to the level that I experienced in D.C. It felt like everyone was always “peacocking” and declaring their social status by where they lived, where they worked, what schools they went to, what vacations they went on, etc.

3) Lots more talk about politics and the “bureaucracy” of life and society. This is to be expected living in national capitol, but not being a huge fan of politics myself, I found it exhausting how much people talked about the topic.

4) The weather changes very frequently between extremes. When I lived in D.C., there was basically no spring. It went straight from freezing winter to hot and humid summer, and there were weeks where every day could change in temperature by more than 20*F.

5) Parking in DC is a nightmare and expensive. It’s honestly just a better option to ride an hour somewhere via the metro system.

5 Things I’ll Miss

1) Always lots of things to do with tons of events happening every weekday and weekend. It can sometimes be overwhelming with the amount of things to see and do, but there is something to do and see for everyone.

2) Lots of free events to go to and places to see. This is mostly due to the Smithsonian museums and having so many government buildings, but I still appreciate that many things are free.

3) There is so much diversity in the population! Whether it be diversity in race or socioeconomic status, food types and style genres. It’s amazing and showcases the best part of America.

4) Big city living on the East Coast. Having lived in the Southwest basically my entire life, particularly Arizona, I wasn’t previously exposed to true “Big City” and East Coast living. It was overwhelming at first, but I came to appreciate the history behind the living styles and the hustle and bustle of it all.

5) Being in our nation’s capitol is a special thing. It is something that I always dreamed of, and I am grateful for the opportunity and the experiences I had living there.

Of course, this is only my perspective from my experience living near Washington D.C. I enjoyed living there, although I do not necessarily have any plans to return.

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Thanks for reading! Have you ever lived in or near Washington D.C.? How accurate do you think I am in this article? Let me know in the comments and like this post!

Xoxo’s

Emmalee

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