happy DC birthday to me!

Four years ago today, I left the comfort and perfection of southern Cali for DC--a day that I call my DC birthday. It used to be a day I would celebrate by drinking (back when I needed an excuse to drink). But I think my liver needs a break. So, I will reflect instead.

Earlier today, Jesse and I were cleaning out the condo. We threw out a lot of junk, including this incredibly old plastic laundry basket that Jesse has had since he started college. The handles were broken and it was really falling apart. Every time I've picked it up, it hurt my hands. I've hated that thing since Jesse moved in and I've been stating my case for a replacement for awhile. I just couldn't understand why Jesse wasn't in a hurry to replace it. Even so, I decided to add it to the garbage that was a part of our summer cleaning.

When dumping the trash, Jesse showed me where the basket lay in the dumpster. He had a little nostalgic moment--reminiscing about all the times he had moved since his freshman year and how that laundry basket had been with him through it all. Not realizing the gravity of the moment, I casually said, "Well, it has served it's purpose and now it's time to move on." Jesse replied, "Yeah, I guess." Did that basket really mean anything? Was Jesse really sad? Was I being insensitive?

As I recollect today's laundry basket moment, a thought occurred to me. Is Cali my "laundry basket"? I know Cali's not old and falling apart like the laundry basket, but you get me. It's hard to let go of things that mean so much to you and carry so many memories. I think about home all the time--my family, my friends, my dog, the beach, the ocean. Not a day goes by where I don't compare Cali and DC or West Coast and East Coast. The weather here is constantly an issue for me (a result of being spoiled with great weather back home). Lots of things here remind me of how I am not home.

I love Orange County. I've always been proud of where I'm from, long before the show ever aired on Fox. But the reality is that Cali hasn't felt the same to me since I left. I've endured so much since I moved. Moving to a strange city and not knowing anyone is a difficult task. I know that I have changed significantly since I left home (and I'm not just talking about my hair). Yet, Cali shaped me and helped me to become the person that I am. However, DC has also had a profound influence on me, so much so that I always feel "different" when I step onto that tarmac in Long Beach every time I fly home.

Does this mean that Cali has already served its purpose? Is it my turn to move on? The truth is that I will always be a Cali girl no matter where I live. They say that home is where your heart is. So, if my heart is here, does that make DC my home? Maybe.