*HOME*

Today marks exactly two months since my return to DC, and everything has finally fallen into place. I've officially completed two weeks at my dream job, and I can't wait until Barbara (my main boss) returns to the office this week. I've gotten a good handle on a number of things, but I'm ready to be exposed to it all. Although I'm a bit nervous that I'll be overwhelmed when she comes back and once Congress reconvenes, I am up for the challenge.

This week proved to be quite busy outside of the office. I had my very first visitors from back home since the beginning of my time in DC seven months ago. Crazy, I know! Much to their dismay, Mom and Jay were one day late to obtain *first visitor* status. The Steenhusen family came into DC from Delaware on Thursday, and I met up with them for lunch. They weren't the most prepared tourists (no maps, no umbrellas, no definite plans), but it was great seeing them. I think they had a good time when all was said and done.

Mom and Jay detoured from their NYC vacation into DC for the weekend. It was fun showing them my old house on The Hill and a few of my favorite spots along the Mall. The best part, however, was having them visit me at my office in downtown DC and getting to take them to my new apartment. That's right, I finally found a place to call home! I responded to a Craigslist posting last weekend, visited the place and met my potential roommate (plus her current roommate, who will be moving in with her boyfriend not too far away) on Monday night, and confirmed the deal after work on Wednesday. I'm quite positive it was meant to be, because they had someone else lined up that had to bow out at the last minute and it really was crunch time for me to lock in a residence. In order to get my first paycheck, I needed to fill out tax information including my address. As paydays are the 1st and 15th of each month, you could say I waited until the last possible minute. It's not like I wasn't trying, but I think holding out for the right place with the right roommate will pay off in the end.

As today is Labor Day, and everyone is enjoying an extra day off from work, I'm capitalizing on the perfect opportunity to move. My dear co-worker Elizabeth graciously offered her assistance and will be driving myself and my belongings to Bethesda this afternoon. Anne (whom I've been saying with for nearly a month now) is also helping me get settled in to the new apartment, and will likely be my most frequent visitor. It's weird thinking about not seeing her every single day, as I've grown very accustomed to doing so, but I couldn't be more excited about finally having my own place to call home!

Here's my new address...
4887 Battery Lane
Apartment #31
Bethesda, MD 20814

I hope you all had an enjoyable long weekend. After I get settled into my new apartment, I hope to do a better job at blogging more frequently. And if you haven't talked to me in what seems like forever, please don't hesitate to give me a call. My cell number is (712) 579-2528, and I'd love to hear from you :)