Four years ago, I packed my bags and got on a plane to DC. With no job lined up and just a spot on a practical stranger’s futon in their studio apartment, I was scared and exhilarated. Politics had been my dream from a young age, and DC is the center of the political universe. I was coming from small town Mississippi with no experience with public transportation, and where walking places was unheard of. My parents gave me until the first of the year to find a job with a paycheck, or it was back to Mississippi I would go. Whenever asked what is the most terrifying experience of my life, I would answer moving to Washington, DC. It truly was a leap of faith, and one I am so glad I made.
Luckily I wasn’t completely alone. I had a few friends from college here, and most importantly Connor. I don’t know that I have ever told him this, but I don’t think I would have moved here if he hadn’t already started grad school here. Connor let me crash on his couch for 2 weeks before I decided to make the move. He encouraged me to take the plunge; he made big city seem manageable, and for that, I will be forever thankful.
Things quickly began to fall into place after stepping off the plane. I got an unpaid internship at a campaign committee, and volunteered as much as possible. I was making friends and work connections, and feeling more and more comfortable by the day. Needless to say I made my parents’ deadline for a paycheck, and have been lucky to have several amazing opportunities over the past 4 years. That doesn’t mean that every moment has been a cakewalk, and I have had my doubts about my career and DC in general. But even when homesickness is settling in during the 6 months between trips to Mississippi, there is something about DC that always feels right.
DC is my longest relationship. This city has been my challenger, my best friend, my comfort zone, and the love of my life. Choosing to move to DC certainly wasn’t the easiest decision, especially when I had options to stay closer to home. DC meant I thought I was capable of more than those small options were. DC meant I was making the dreams I had been talking about since I was 14 a reality. DC has brought amazing people into my life to support me, to teach me, and to grow with me. DC has also had its low points, friends who weren’t really friends, emotionally abusive workplaces and relationships, and a sea of self doubt because of it all. Every time things got hard and I thought about going back to Mississippi, I realized something quite unexpected. Mississippi will always be the home where I grew up, but DC is the home that I have built. I am a Mississippian, a Washingtonian, and proud to call them both home.
It is hard to believe that 4 years have passed since I got on that plane in Jackson full of hope and determination. I am a much wiser version of myself now, and looking back there are some things I would have done differently. But all in all I am proud of the person I have become, of the people I surround myself with, and the life I have built for myself.
It has been a hell of a ride DC, and I think I am staying for a while. I mean you don’t just walk away from the love of your life now do you?
