Hello,
and welcome to the District of Columbia! For those of you who have recently
moved to D.C., I hope you’re enjoying the city so far and for those of you
considering relocating to D.C., I assure you that this is the place to be!
With
the amount of traffic moving in and out of Washington, D.C., I thought it would
be appropriate to create a place where people can learn about life in the
District whether you’re on your way in or just passing through. As someone who
has moved more times than I’d care to admit, I understand how difficult relocating
can be and want to help streamline that process for the new kids on the block
as much as possible.
I
first moved to D.C. several years ago for an internship opportunity and much
like many interns who come to this great city, I arrived bright-eyed and ready to
take on all of our nation’s problems. I quickly learned that the complexity of
said problems coupled with the limited capacity of an intern, typically does
not produce the cure for cancer or answer to world hunger, though I still
enjoyed the experience very much, meeting incredible people and learning a great
deal about policy-making.
After
spending months here, I left the District to pursue my Master’s Degree. I
wasn’t sure if I’d ever return, or quite frankly what I’d even do following
graduate school, but after a presidential campaign, several dead-end jobs, and one
big break-up, I managed to land back in our nation’s capital. Now that I’m
back, I couldn’t be happier and it’s hard to say if I’ll ever leave again. I
love D.C. so much I feel like it’s almost adopted me as an honorary native.
It’s something about the amount of history that the District hosts, the type of
people it draws, and the overall culture it dons that has converted me into a
walking advertisement.
I
want you to feel the same way if you’re in the process of or even just considering
moving here. Washington, D.C. is an incredible city, but getting here is not
always easy. There’s a lot of work that goes into relocating, plus there are
times throughout the process when you can feel overwhelmed, confused, scared, lonely,
and doubtful. These feelings are completely normal and everyone who has
relocated has felt them at one point or another.
One
comforting factor is that you don’t have to go through it alone anymore. As I
said, I’ve moved a number of times in my adult life and each time, regardless
of the new city, I’ve found myself wishing that there was someone on the other
side of my move, guiding me along the way, answering my questions, and helping
me start over. And now there is. I created New To…D.C. to serve as your relocation
ambassador, so that you can get reliable information before you arrive,
sufficiently plan ahead, and develop educated and realistic expectations about your
move. You are not on your own anymore. New To…D.C. will help you through the
entire process, from start to finish, until you come to consider D.C. as your own
adopted hometown.
