I will write a quick note here before things get busier, and before I get adjusted to the new Virginia address. Since my last post I’ve moved to Pennsylvania—then moved to Virginia, taken two CPA exams, and furnished my new place. It’s been a bit hectic.
Virginia is worlds away from Flagstaff, Arizona. (I’m inside the Washington, DC beltway but have a Virginia address.) It’s very green here and it rains almost every day. The green comes right to the edge of the freeway and forms a nearly impenetrable wall of greenery from the ground to the treetops. Driving around is not unlike driving around in a giant green labyrinth.
Driving anywhere requires a lot of willpower and great patience. Taking a reverse commute route provides a scenic view of cars packed six or more lanes wide in one direction snaking for miles up hills down hills around curves over bridges under bridges past cranes. The skyline is dominated by tower cranes.
I live in a new apartment and condominium complex. This building is eight floors high with three basement floors of parking. I was one of the first twenty to move in to the first block of apartments completed. It feels like I have the whole place to myself. I can park right next to an elevator. The rec center and gym are all mine. The sister building next to me has a grocery store and Starbucks and other shops on the ground floor so most of my shopping is done on foot. I rented a studio with a third floor patio overlooking a sunken courtyard below. The apartment is divided into two areas so it’s almost like a one-bedroom apartment with a living room. It has nine-foot ceilings, granite countertops, and lots of closet and cabinet space. I like it very well so far.
The neighborhood here consists of two large shopping malls, the largest in the DC metro area. They are a close walk away. There are dozens of tall office buildings. It’s definitely a business area and is quieter on weekends in spite of all the mall traffic. There’s also a new subway line set to open within a year along with a bunch of associated construction projects. There is a tremendous amount of construction and new buildings and roads are being built everywhere. The recession is nowhere to be seen.
The heat and humidity is not nice. My countertops and dishes don’t dry themselves and require pathetic toweling from yours truly. 97% humidity doesn’t help, which was what it was the other evening according the folks at Weather.com. The air literally seeps water. Any action makes my already damp clothes become wet with sweat. It’s oppressive.
After several trips to IKEA the place is coming together. I am mostly buying new furniture to furnish the place, and even though small, still requires a frightening amount of new pieces. Today I got a state safety inspection and county emission inspection for the car; tomorrow I plan to get VA plates and switch my license. Little by little it’s coming together.