A Year in the DC Life
It has been a year. An entire year.
One year since moving to DC. The year with me starting my job at Children’s National, and the year ending with Adam settling into his new job at Teneo.
It has been a crazy and busy year. It has been a wonderful and soul-quenching year. What an unexpected adventure.
While we have traveled significantly less, we have had FAR more adventures with people we love most in the world. We have been able to be there for the very big and very little things, personally and professionally, and we have been able to enjoy the full breadth and depth of life that comes with such meaning. It is nice to be able to easily attend the weddings, birthdays, baby showers, random/last minute events out, as well as be there for the funerals or shoulders of support through difficult life moments. We are getting a front row view of our favorite little humans growing up, and absorb all the snuggles and wrestling and playground traipsing that can be had!
We miss having the cabin so close and being there so frequently, but it is balanced with the random adventures that we get to have spontaneously with friends here being so close. That said, between the two of us, we have made it back almost monthly thus far this year….not too bad!
It is interesting how all phases of our past lives has seemed to have come together here in the DMV. I am now working with people from my Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital and NIH days, one of our favorite couples and my old HemOnc partner from Hawaii, as well as another from Chicago, live here now, and most of our Abu Dhabi crew is here.
We are absolutely loving the neighborhood that we have settled into, and will continue to rent there for the foreseeable future. The convenience of walking for our groceries and needs/appointments of life, and ability to take the metro to/from work for both of us saving the nightmare of commuting….it is everything. As well as the ease of regional travel with Union Station being out our back door (and we all know how train is my ABSOLUTE MOST FAVORITE mode of transportation). National and international travel could not be much more convenient, with DCA/Reagan being a 20min metro commute and Dulles ~50min.
Professionally, I am leading in many aspects nationally, for Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Advanced Practice with roles in national and international organizations, presenting and representing expertise, leading committees and work groups, developing content, and spearheading advancement…really putting my Doctorate to use in a different way that I originally envisioned, but more impact-fully than I could have ever dreamed! Really, for me, this past year has been all of my wildest professional aspiration coming to fruition, all at once, so it has been overwhelming AWESOME, but also now a second full-time job that is all “donated time”. Adam is completely unsurprised, all the supportive, and incredulous that I am surprised!
It is starting to sink in ONLY NOW, that this is our life now and where we will be for what we know of life now, and settling in. Is this “home”? Yes, as much as anywhere has ever been. There are no plans or aspirations for anything different for the future anyway, other than buying somewhere permanent here…but even that doesn’t feel important or necessary.
Last year was INCREDIBLY hard. So many heartbreaks and disappointments; between unexpected life path changes, navigating the uncertainty, health issues, the state of this country and horrific decisions being made, and our friends and family experiencing a lot of hard and traumatic things. It was exhausting.
That said, last year was also INCREDIBLY beautiful, because it really felt like all of it was who we are meant to be moving forward for the life we want, was really all coming together…in not an easy or unpainful, but necessary, way. While I definitely would not want to do it EVER again, I know we could, and I am grateful to be exactly where we are right now…because it all feels…completely RIGHT. And I cannot remember a time that I felt that. That we had THIS. There was always something “next”: A job, a promotion, a goal (educational degree, certification), a thing to be able to afford (no debt/loans, car, house).
THIS beautiful life we get to continue to adventure through, together in deepest of love, bestest of friendship, and truest of partnership. This year, our 20th of marriage and somehow truly better than ever. Thank you for everyone traveling on this crazy train of life with us, we are so grateful that you are a part of our lives and allow us space in yours.
