Moving is hard work! My move to Washington, D.C. went extraordinarily well in large part because my movers (Helix Transfer and Storage, a Maryland company) were quite professional and went beyond the call of duty in assembling a new bed frame for me (I could never have done it myself). Even so, unpacking all those boxes and setting up my apartment was not an easy task in the late August heat wave, good thing I have air-conditioning! A week into my move, I’m still in the process of finding a new bank and new doctors. Already, however, I’ve availed myself of one of the perks of being a DC resident: free access to its community pools. Since I swim for exercise, this is a major boon for me and goes a long way to offsetting the increased cost of groceries and gas in DC (as compared to West Virginia). I love my new digs in Capitol Hill East; I’m two minutes away from the nearest Metro and everyone in my building has been friendly and helpful. One senior resident who walks with a cane even insisted on helping me drag a few empty boxes into the trash room, break them down and throw them into the dumpsters. And at the local Safeway, employees have stopped what they were doing to answer my queries about where to find certain produce with good humor and patience. Likewise, the security staff in the Metro have been very patient in helping me figure out how to use my monthly mobile pass, even when it’s as much a mystery to them as it is to me. In an email exchange with Smartrip, I just learned the pass doesn’t become operational until Sept. 1. Really? I’ll find out if that’s true tomorrow. Best of all, I was welcomed to DC by a friend who lives nearby and took me to an excellent Mexican restaurant, Paraiso Taqueria, where we sampled the mexcal in a few delicious cocteles.
In time, when I feel settled, I hope to look for volunteer opportunities, perhaps a way to put my writing and fundraising skills to work on behalf of abortion rights and gun safety and/or making sure the Democrats keep the House and Senate this November. I have to say it’s nice living in an area where the majority of residents understand that it is not okay for a former President to foment violent insurrection and hide classified documents in his private residence. (I have friends in West Virginia who think it’s fine for Trump to steal highly sensitive documents; they argue, without a shred of evidence, that as a former president, he can keep whatever classified documents he wants). Their willful ignorance appalls me but there’s not much I can do to change their particular minds. I will just have to work on a broader scale to try and change the political narrative.
For now, however, I’m taking each day as it comes and looking forward to exploring my new city, on foot, bike and subway. If you live in the DC area, maybe I’ll see you on the C&O Canal one day. Happy trails!
This blog is also posted on medium.com.
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