Virginia is for Lovers

About a week ago I moved back to Northern Virginia. I had lived in the area for six years (in five different places!) prior to living in Pittsburgh for a year. My very first job after graduating college brought me to Northern Virginia, and I have to say, it took me a very long time to call the place "home" and to fall in love.

There was plenty to not love about the area - the most insane traffic I'd ever seen, how expensive everything is, and how transient friendships feel (the Northern Virginia/DC/Maryland area attracts a lot of people, but only for a short time...and then your new friends leave for the next opportunity).

But, there was also plenty more to love about the area - the delicious food and a list of restaurants to try that gets longer and longer, wineries and Shenandoah in one direction and downtown museums in the other direction, and most importantly - a direct flight to San Francisco for Access Weekend! Just kidding!

...Most importantly - my friends. During those six years, I met some of my best post-college friends (who weren't leaving anytime soon), and together, we survived a multitude of life events - divorce, dating, lay-offs, new jobs, starting school, finishing school, moving (lots of moving), getting a green card, becoming a citizen, engagement, marriage, starting a family...

I am confident that I would have made new friends wherever I ended up - but, I am so thankful to be surrounded by the friends who helped me survive and thrive once and have already started to help me again.

Virginia is for Lovers.

with love,
KB