DC Diaries – Part 8

Life in the nation’s capital has been an adjustment in recent times. While moving is exciting when you’re in a brand-new town, it is also very very very much of a transition, too. Like many things in life, life while moving is a rollercoaster – there are several ups and downs. Through it all, I know that my move to Washington, DC is the right move for me at this time in my life.

There have been a ton of adverse affects of COVID-19 on everyone’s lives in general and those affects definitely pertain to the work life, too. It is super nice that we can all work from everywhere and anywhere. Indeed, I know so many companies that allow their employees to telework and will be moving forward. Teleworking is great and I have appreciated and reaped the benefits of it. On the same token, it is super challenging to get connected within a new city when you are working remotely and primarily so.

Personally, to say the least, I have been struggling with making connections in my new town. I think a lot of my lack of connectivity in Washington, DC has to do with the fact that I am working remotely. Despite the fact that I LOVE working remotely and really truly value the flexibility and comfort that it has offered me, I also miss seeing folks face to face and making those face to face connections. That being said, I am luckily able to go into my company’s office and will be doing so a few times a week on days when others will be in the office, too. On the same token, I feel very lucky that I have been able to make connections in a remote enivronment. Even though I may not be able to see my company’s office life pre-COVID-19, I can reap the benefits of going into the office in a fresh and new light and still make connections both virtually and in-person.

Beyond the work world, I miss getting to know others and establishing a social life. Let’s get this straight: making friends in a post-graduation world is HARD! It is such a challenge not being around folks my own age 24/7, whether it be in class, extracurricular activity, or a social event through school. Needless to say, I have spent a lot more time alone than I have in the past. Yet, I am not upset about it. I am using this time to simply focus on myself and figure out what comes next in my social world and where I want to connect with others. I am strategizing ways to connect beyond the working world too and I have some thoughts in mind that I am striving to connect through. Not knowing is hard for us all. And guess what?! That is OKAY!

Through it all, life in the nation’s capital has been a bit of a struggle. I am definitely not in the happiest part of the post-graduation transition. But, I also think it’s important to be honest with myself and others in that I am not perfect and my life is not perfect 24/7. In fact, NO ONE’S is! At the same time, like everything, things will and they do get better. I am striving to connect more inside and outside of work and my work put in to maintain connections with others WILL pay off!

XOXO – Katie <3

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DC Diaries – Part 6

Transitions, adjustments, and changes, oh my! These three words describe some of the hardest pills for people to swallow. Case in point, my move to the Washington, DC area, my transition into the workforce, and changing up my blogging schedule a bit to accommodate my new work schedule. When changes come into our lives, it can be challenging to accept them and move forward, whether they’re good or bad. Transitions, adjustments, and changes are tough at times, but they can also allow us to grow and excel in our lives the ways that we are meant to.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6

Personally, I feel that making transitions, adjustments, and changes to our lives is important. I believe that there is a plan for each and every one of us in this thing called life. Whether or not you identify with a religious faith, I personally identify as a Christian. My Christian faith has projected my belief system in that I see how God has a plan for each and every single one of us. God or whatever higher power(s) that you believe in have set aside a plan for your life and that plan involves many many many twists and turns and ups and downs. Whether you have a liking to those plans set aside just for you or not, is up to you. But, whatever may be put in your way is there for a reason and leading you to be the person that you are meant to be in life, if it is for a stage in life or something more.

Case in point, when I moved to the Washington, DC area, there were a lot of transitions, adjustments, and changes that popped up along with the move. However, there is a reason for them all and they have made me and will make me into a better person – the person that I am meant to be.

My move to Washington, DC has been an exciting times. I have found it hard over and over and over again to talk and even touch on the tough subjects in life. But, they have led me to truly be able to enjoy my life in the nation’s capital. The hard parts in life are what always lead us to the greatest things that have been yet to come.

At this moment, I have been able to adjust successfully to my new life in Washington, DC. Although there are still some transitions, adjustments, and changes to come, I know that I am where I am meant to be. It all happened the way it was meant to and making me into the person that I am meant to be thanks be to God (or whatever higher power that you believe in). Today, I will leave you all with one of my favorite Bible verses – Deuteronomy 31:6 – “be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.”

XOXO – Katie <3

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My Washington, DC Area Bucket List

Now that I am *finally* starting to get settled into my apartment in the Washington, DC area, I am more than excited and ready to explore my new backyard! There are oh so many things that I want to do here in the Washington, DC area. So, today I will be sharing my Washington, DC area bucket list & some of the things that I have already done and enjoyed doing!

My Washington, DC Area Bucket List!

Washington, DC

  • Have a picnic at The National Mall
  • Eat dinner at Old Ebbitt Grill
  • Attend a blogger meet up downtown
  • Walk along Dupont Circle and U Street Northwest
  • Try Baked & Wired’s Cupcakes in Georgetown
  • Admire the aisles and enjoy some delights at Eastern Market
  • Watch the sunrise from the Jefferson Memorial
  • Take blog photos in Georgetown
  • Try Urban Roast for brunch
  • Walk around Capitol Hill
  • Go to a Nationals baseball game
  • Tour the White House, the Capitol, the Supreme Court Building, and the Library of Congress
  • Take photos along the cobblestone streets of Georgetown
  • Tour the National Cathedral
  • Walk along the Tidal Basin when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom at sunrise
  • Tour the Tudor Place
  • Enjoy cocktails at The Wharf
  • Watch the sunset from the Lincoln Memorial
  • Have a high tea at Lady Camellia
  • See The Nutcracker at the Kennedy Center
  • Take a stroll along Georgetown Waterfront Park
  • Go to the Renwick Gallery
  • Have a picnic at the United States National Arboretum
  • Admire the flora of the United States Botanical Garden
  • Visit Ford’s Theatre
  • Learn ways to not repeat history ever again at the Holocaust Museum
  • Ice skate at the Sculpture Garden
  • Enjoy doing work at a local cafe
  • Visit Enchante at Nationals Park at Christmas time
  • Watch The National Christmas Tree Lighting
  • Shop in Georgetown
  • Walk through the Freer Gallery of Art *yet again*

Virginia

  • Visit George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate at Christmas time
  • Explore downtown Fairfax
  • Stroll through the cobblestone streets of Old Town Alexandria *yet again*
  • Take a day trip to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
  • Visit the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
  • Make it to all of the Charlottesville vineyards on the Monticello Wine Trail
  • Drive through the countryside of Loudon County, specifically Middleburg and Leesburg
  • Admire the sunflowers and/or tulips at Burnside Farms
  • Explore downtown Vienna
  • Sip some wine at one of the many Middleburg vineyards
  • Enjoy dinner and strolling along the streets of Shirlington
  • Take a hike at Occoquan Regional Park
  • Enjoy a meal out and shopping at the Mosaic District
  • Go iceskating at Reston Town Center
  • Hike along Shenandoah National Park and drive along Skyline Drive
  • Explore Fredericksburg
  • Shop at the Potomac Mills Tanger Outlets
  • Enjoy the nightlife and food scene in Arlington
  • Walk along Clifton and take blogger photos there

Maryland

  • Stroll through Annapolis at Christmas time
  • Enjoy dinner at National Harbor
  • Take a day trip or weekend excursion to St. Michael’s Island
  • Enjoy a night at MGM in National Harbor
  • Have a high tea with family in Annapolis
  • Admire the Christmas lights at the Gaylord National Hotel
  • Shop at the Tanger Outlets at National Harbor
  • Admire the downtown Annapolis area and enjoy ice cream there in the summer time
  • Visit Baltimore, Maryland
  • Walking around Fells Point in Baltimore
  • Tour downtown Frederick
  • BONUS: Visit Harpers Ferry, West Virginia at Christmas time

Things I Have LOVED Doing:

  • Walking and hiking along the Appalachian Trail at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
  • Enjoying dinner in Clifton, Virginia
  • Visit my favorite local Mom & Pop place for breakfast food 24/7 – Lincoln’s Waffle House
  • Hiking Sugarloaf Mountain in Dickerson, Maryland
  • Shopping at Tyson’s Corner Center Mall or Tyson’s Galleria Mall in Tyson’s, Virginia
  • Admiring the many museums at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC
  • Enjoying a cupcake at Georgetown Cupcake
  • Taking a hike to Great Falls Park, Virginia
  • Walk along the Tidal Basin
  • Enjoy a soup and sandwich at Cosi Cafe
  • Shop at the TJ Maxx in Georgetown – y’all it is an AMAZING TJ Maxx!!!
  • Tour the Washington Monument – tickets are free & it’s an amazing experience
  • Admire the mountains and farm side of Catoctin Mountain Orchard in Dickerson, Maryland
  • See the cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin
  • Take a sail in Annapolis
  • Enjoy a sip of wine at The Winery at Bull Run in Centreville, Virginia – see my blog post here!

I am oh so excited to be able to start my next chapter here in the Washington, DC area AND explore my brand-new backyard. Cheers to new adventures!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

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DC Diaries – Part 1

After years of living in the South, I am have made the move of my dreams – a move to the nation’s capital. I will be stepping foot into brand-new ground, groundbreaking ground. I will be living just minutes away from where decisions all across our globe are made. I will be living in a city full of diverse people who think similarly to me and differently from me. I will be living in a Mecca full of people figuring out what they want to do with their lives. There will be so much opportunity for me to explore, learn, and grow.

In the South, I had it all – the friends, the style, the walk, the talk, and all of the involvement and everything in between. Indeed, I had the life and enjoyed the Southern way of life. In fact, in high school, I was crowned Homecoming Queen, and I had it all then too. I had the big parties and played hostess. I had the social media friends and followers – a big crowd of them, too, which I continue to have to this exact day. I walked with stride. I had the style, kindness, charisma, and poise. Everyone knew my name both at my high school and at my college, and I befriended practically everyone. Life was and had been good. However, I knew I wanted much more beyond what I knew.

Since spending time in the South, I have learned a lot about myself and what I want in life. I knew that I craved excitement: something that is a driving factor in my life and in my many life’s decisions. Growing up, I knew that I wanted something more than the suburban way of life. However, one day I think I may crave that lifestyle again – who is to say though! I wanted to get out and explore and feel like the woman who I am meant to be both strong and independent. I have consistently been a workaholic who prides on never sitting down and being on the go. I live for the hustle and bustle – a city lifestyle meets those needs for me – and the constant need to get out and explore, even in my own backyard. My backyard is about to expand a lot and in ways that I would have never ever expected it to.

As an LGBTQ+ woman in the South, I have found the world of love and romance to be a quite tricky one. Even though I have had encounters in the past within my romance sphere, nothing leads up to the plethora of LGBTQ+ folks in the city of Washington, DC alone. The District of Columbia is notorious for having just around 10% of its total population identifying as apart of the LGBTQ+ community. That is, not to account for the several LGBTQ+ people who live outside of the city in nearby Virginia and Maryland. Personally, I have struggled with the dating world within my own backyard in the South. There is still a continuous source of LGBTQ+ hate and homophobia within the South and many people potentially remain closeted – afraid to show their true colors. Sometimes, I even felt scared to do just that. That being said, I am more than ready to take on the new in a fresh and positive light. I am ready to showcase and open the doors to my closet where a beautiful rainbow lies from within. I am truly ready to present my true colors and be the best me that I can be.

Moving to Washington, DC comes with several unknowns. Who will I meet? What will I do? Where will I go? How will my life change? When will all of these things occur? How will I get started? The answer is: who knows! However, one thing’s for sure is that I may have had it all in the South, but I am just getting started here in the nation’s capital.

XOXO – Katie <3

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My Washington, DC Move Q&A

Recently, I made an announcement regarding my post-graduation plans – I will be making the move all the way up to the Washington, DC area. On my social media, I asked my fellow followers to share questions that they have about my big move, which I will be answering in today’s blog post. Read along to find out more about my next adventure!!!

Where exactly are you looking to live?

I am planning to live in the Northern Virginia area near a Metro station (train station to the Washington, DC subway). Although I have not solidified a place yet, I will probably be living near my family who also reside in Northern Virginia.

What kinds of jobs are you searching for?

When it comes to the job search, I want to use my Mathematics degree and each of my minors – Data Science, Website Development, and Statistics – in some way or another. So, I will be searching for a job within the Data Science/Analytics realm. Additionally, I am still considering going to get a graduate degree to further my interest in Data Science/Analytics.

How do you do Public Transportation? Metro, train, etc.?

In the Washington, DC area, there are a variety of ways to get around. When it comes to the city of Washington, DC, I plan to use the Metro (which as mentioned above, is the subway/transit system of the city). There is also a widely-used bus system within the Northern Virginia/Washington, DC area that is connected to the Metro transit and takes locals to the Metro who are not in walking distance from a station. At the same time, I will also rely on my car (once I get my license – it’s been a process y’all!!!!) to go places, too.

What is your favorite place back home and are that you’re excited to be at again or for the first time?

So, I am going to answer this question in two parts: my favorite place back at home and a place I am really looking forward to going to for the first time when I move.

My favorite place back at home (in Northern Virginia) would probably be Old Town Alexandria – this town is super adorable and has so much history to it. I am super excited to explore this sweet place even more.

As for a place I am looking forward to checking out, I would have to say many of the restaurants in the city of Washington, DC along with the vineyards west of the city out in the so-called “countryside” of Virginia.

What are you most excited for about your move?!

Honestly, I am most excited to be starting out somewhere fresh and new. I have always been a big city girl, ever since I was little. Raleigh is a really nice city, but it is a bit too small for me, so I am excited to be somewhere starting out that will have a plethora of jobs available and many others starting out there since graduating from college, too. Personally, I have always wanted to start out in the Washington, DC area since I started college. So, I am really happy that I will be able to do what I have so desired to do for about 4 years now.

What is something that you will miss when you leave Raleigh?

I have fallen in love with the kindness and warm hospitality of Raleigh and all across the South. Since touring Meredith as a Senior in high school, I most definitely identified more with the clothing and styles of the South rather than up North. This may sound crazy, but I will really miss the malls and shopping experiences of the South, along with its friendly and warm, welcoming community.

What are some ways that you hope to connect with others in the Washington, DC area?

While I have not solidified just yet how I am going to go about engaging and getting involved in my future community, I most definitely know that I am interested in a variety of differing channels of involvement. As a Lilly Pulitzer lover, I know that I want to do something to connect with my Lilly Pulitzer lover community within the Washington, DC area – women of all ages and backgrounds. My cousins love to sail in nearby Annapolis, Maryland, so I would like to get together and sail with them more often. At the same time, I am considering joining some organizations, but I have not exactly decided as to which I may join. Stay tuned 🙂

While I have 6 weeks left of my undergraduate journey at Meredith, I am optimistically looking towards the future. Similarly, I am soaking in all of my final moments at Meredith. Here’s to Washington, DC super soon!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

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