Washington's Less-Than-Warm Welcome

Of my nearly thirty-three years, thirty of them were spent in the warm and sunny south. Places like Savannah, Georgia and St. Petersburg, Florida wrapped their slightly sweaty arms around me, the humidity frizzing my already curly hair, the sweet teas and iced coffees vaguely yellowing my teeth. I loved it all.

But with the budget crisis, my Tampa school district decided it was sensible to cut the elementary strings program. In turn, my husband Marc and I decided it was sensible to cut our ties to Florida before we a) had a hurricane or b) a ridiculous mortgage that we couldn't escape. I applied to 13 school districts--a different 'how I would change the world' essay for every application--and when all was said and done, I accepted a job in Fairfax County, Virginia.

I was prepared for the traffic, the high cost of living, and the silly politics. I was not, however, prepared for the most snow this region has ever seen. When I say 'not prepared' I mean I did not own a winter hat or waterproof gloves. This time last year I was kayaking off of Tampa Bay and getting sunburnt at Spring Training games. I didn't fully consider the fact that I might have to dig my Kia out of more than two feet of snow. Twice!

Needless to say, things are different this year. And different isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just...well, different. I'm learning a ton about our country's history, our government, cultural diversity, along with all the great things that go along with an extended trip--new foods, new sights, new museums, new people. How long this 'extended trip' will last, I'm not sure. I work in the arts and my husband's a writer, not the most stable positions out there these days. But we will try our best to dig out of the snow, have some fun, and maybe even learn something along the way occasionally.