Back in DC

After a summer spent traipsing through Scandinavia, and a brief stint in SoCal, I'm back in DC.  After having dinner with my aunt Cheryl on Thursday night, I drove back into the city and man, did it feel weird.  I still don't feel like DC is "home" (which I'm sure would make my parents ecstatic), which is probably aided by my still total reliance on using my GPS whenever I wander roughly outside the 3 mile range of Eddie's house.  But rumor has it that 2nd year M.Arch students don't have it quite as rough as first year, so maybe I'll finally have some time to really start living here.


It is nice having a weekend to ease back into being here before starting school.  Yesterday Eddie and I went to Monroe Elementary where they were having the 3rd (?) annual Columbia Heights Day Festival.  I had a delicious peach and ginger popsicle from Petworth Pops, pet a camel, saw some great performances, and found out DC has its own Shorts Film Festival starting mid-September at the E Street threatres, which I'm really excited about.  Should be a good start to another fall in Washington.

Last Night in Cali

After spending the last 8 months of my life obsessively following way more design blogs than I'd like to admit, I am using my cross-country trip as the jump-start (and testing grounds?) for one of my own.  

I still can't believe I threw a graduate school application together in so short a time (I probably shouldn't acknowledge that, should I?), and then, against all odds, got in to CUA in DC.  I can honestly say I am so excited to return to this city - after spending over a week there for the inauguration, I felt like I barely glimpsed the city's reach in my four years at Georgetown.  And, the icing on the cake is that I'm moving in with one of my life-long friends whom I have missed since my return to California.  Eddie and I have already discussed our plans to have Sunday family dinners in effect upon my arrival.   

But as much as I am filled with excitement about school and DC, I can't help but think of everything I'm leaving here in Southern California.  I know I will greatly miss my family (although, I am sure they will find some excuse to visit me back East), and also some truly amazing friends that I have made while in LA.  Most I hope will visit, but I know I will take a part of each of them with me - for they have definitely made an impact on the person I am today (man, is this cheesy or what?  I definitely do not claim to be a good writer).  

So, with that, I end my run in California.  Tomorrow starts my big drive - first stop Sedona, Az.  I just have to throw everything in my car in the morning, and I'll be taking the Santa Monica Beach with me, thanks to Jodi.