DC Metro observations from a newbie

So I am at the 3.5 month mark of moving up to the Northern Virginia area (aka the DC metro area) and each day I learn and observe things about my new home. One of the best things about moving away from your hometown is seeing the ways in which it is similar and different from where you grew up. I have lived in the northern part of Florida (Tallahassee) and grew up in the Central part of the state and even then I noticed many differences in just the same state.  The joke is that Florida is the only state where you have to go north to be south, and it is true. When I moved to Massachusetts in 2007 the differences between Florida and New England were hard to ignore. To say it was an eye-opening experience would be an understatement. Here are some of my observations so far of the DC metro area.

"What do you do?" is the most frequently asked question up here. This area has the highest concentration of high performing/ high achievers in the nation and trust me they won't let you forget it.  I struggle with this since I don't have a fancy government job title that would impress anyone. I just recently started working for a healthcare non-profit in a position that I am sure would impress no one. Back in Orlando I felt impressed with having a masters degree but here they are a dime a dozen and not as dinky as mine in school counseling which I'm not fully using.



Fall is here and I'm embracing every minute of it. Florida has no seasons, unless you consider humid hot and not as hot as actual seasons, so when I experienced my first fall in Massachusetts seven years ago I was instantly hooked. I found myself a cute pair of black boots this weekend and can't wait to wear them out.



Moving from a lower cost of living area to one of the most expensive areas in the country has been shocking and a somber experience. It was one thing to complain about money back in Orlando , but here we pay more for a one bedroom apartment than most people pay for a mortgage back home. Everything here is more expensive, I guess that is the price to pay for an area with actual things to do.