Making an effort

Recently, I had a g-chat conversation about the election with a good friend of mine. The conversation caused me much consternation, but not for the reasons you might think. After discussing the historic nature of the election, the potential SCOTUS nominees, and the fantastic acceptance speech, the following exchange took place:

me: I wish you were in DC
it's pretty cool here right now
the energy is amazing
Him: WHOA
I'M PRINTING THIS OUT
AND DISTRIBUTING IT TO ALL
I believe that was a (partially) positive assessment of DC from Melanie

Well, that got me thinking.

Have I really said nothing positive about DC? Ever?

And what does that say more about--my own attitude, or the city?

Sure, this is not my favorite place in the world--it's no Gimmelwald. Sure, I still do not really understand these "city folk"--I am still very much a country mouse at heart. Sure, I miss my family, my friends, and my quiet, convenient, friendly, comfortable, familiar, chicken-fried kind of home.

But nobody put a gun to my head and forced me to move to DC. (Indeed, we're ponying up a pretty penny to live here.) We came here for a reason, and there is a reason we didn't pack up and go home after the first week. So I think it's about time that I put in writing--for public distribution--some of the good things about living here. In no particular order, here are 10 positive things about DC:

1) It's an exciting place to be right now. This is where everything is happening--the turnover in government, the Supreme Court, the home of the new 700 billion dollar hedge fund, the G-20 meetings, the protests, the parades--and the energy is high.

2) There are tons of people our age, everywhere. For the most part, they are excited about life, and they are doing something with it.

3) People come to visit. We already have a full slate of houseguests planned, despite the fact that they have to sleep on the couch or an air mattress.

4) No matter what kind of food you're in the mood for, you can find it within walking distance. Thai, Indian, Ethiopian, Peruvian, Malaysian, Italian, Mexican, Steakhouses... anything.

5) There are actually some decent country radio stations here.

6) There is real diversity--ethnic diversity, religious diversity, political diversity, financial diversity, sexual diversity, etc. Along with that diversity comes acceptance--we don't have to worry about being an interracial couple, we don't worry about having a funny name, we don't have to defend our religious or political choices, and we get to learn a lot about other people.

7) I never have to drive. My feet or the metro can take me anywhere I want to go.

8) I don't have to plan meals in advance--I can just walk across the street to the grocery store and get what I need that evening.

9) You never have to worry about places being closed at 9pm.

10) I may not have my own little piece of land or my own garden, but I do have a pretty neat backyard: My trees are the Japanese cherry trees, my pond is the reflecting pool and the tidal basin, and my statuary are the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.

There. I feel better already.