A stark difference exists between rural Illinois and the area in and around Washington, DC, where I settled into my next job. You have heard me say before how I gravitate to and feel more at home in smaller cities, however I was eager for a change of pace from my job in Peoria, and although apprehensive, was excited to get to know this other part of the country better, and far more in depth living like the locals, as opposed to what I knew of the D.C. area from prior vacations. I was in a for a rude awakening however, as to the amount of traffic at rush hour in and around the highways involving the D.C. beltway. Especially so, after incurring a front end collision within the previous two months, that was NOT at all my fault, but totaled my car nonetheless. As a result, I was left having to make a car purchase at the worst possible time, with both a huge mark-up on used cars and limited inventory on new cars, due to the chip crisis and transport issues of these vehicles to dealers’ car lots. The car accident left me shaken, unsettled and understandably a bit nervous to drive in congested areas, but I agreed to this new job in Alexandria, Virginia (just outside of D.C.) and was therefore left with no other choice but to deal with it and learn to overcome this “discomfort”. As a result, I decided to find alternatives to the highway, which didn’t remove the congestion problem, but did make it more comfortable driving at least at a more respectable speed than you would on the highway, as well as avoiding the major tolls that would have cost me a small fortune traveling around these parts.
My rental couldn’t have been more incredible – it was in a walkout basement of a very kind young professional’s home in a nice part of Arlington, centrally located between both my job and the fun of D.C. The rental was tastefully decorated, comfortable, and spacious for my needs. I could walk a couple blocks and be in the heart of Arlington, boasting a fun downtown with lots of shops, restaurants and bars, as well as numerous walking trails (one of which is the W&OD trail that I mentioned in my earlier posts on Leesburg, Virginia / Loudoun County – a trail that is approximately 40 miles from D.C. through Arlington and ending in Purcellville, VA). And best of all, I didn’t have to use my car most of the time, except to get to and from work. On the weekends, if I chose to, I could walk a few city blocks and hop on the Metro – the subway that took me into the Nation’s Capitol. You could take the stop to the National Mall and as soon as you walk outside – there you are – standing right on the green with museums all along the perimeter, the Capitol Building on one end, the Lincoln Memorial on the other, and the Washington Monument smack dab in the center of this nearly 2 mile long stretch. There was so much to see and do in this touristy area of D.C. that I found myself going there often during this 15 week assignment. In a future post, I will outline all the amazing things I discovered while exploring this area in more detail than I ever have before. There is definitely no shortage of fun in this part of D.C., especially as the weather warms up and the cherry blossoms bloom in the early spring – the timing of which is critical, making it a once in a lifetime experience not to be missed! I was fortunate enough to enjoy it 3 times that spring!
As for the job, I met some amazing sonographers and physicians, working in a busy department. This job served as the turning point for me to go from what felt like the speed of a snail in my previous job in Peoria (due to so many different office protocols in place and different manufacturer’s ultrasound machines from one ultrasound room to the next) to learning to scan at a faster pace (due to an efficient department flow and high volume of patients). I am grateful to have had both experiences – for it is not only the good ones that help you to grow, but also the ones you find challenging to thrive, that provide life lessons and opportunities for personal growth as well.
In my next blog post, I will talk about the variety of fun things I discovered while working in Alexandria, Virginia. This list will surely help you weed through all that this area has to offer and choose activities from what I feel is among the best of the best of the Alexandria-Arlington-D.C. metro area.