Last year I received a promotion to work in Washington, DC. I'm originally from Phoenix, Arizona. This is my dream job doing something that I love to do. My previous job in Phoenix was quite difficult and I was no longer enjoying what I was doing. When the opportunity came to apply for another job, I took it. At the time when I initially applied for the job I didn't realize the how difficult the whole process would be. The process of moving all of my belongings out of my house to a new place in Virginia which is where I ended up. The only thing I was thinking about was getting out of my old job and away from all of the difficulties I was having. My life in Phoenix was amazing. I had great friends, two wonderful dogs, a home that I built from the ground up, and an amazing boyfriend. But Phoenix was getting boring. It was getting hotter year after year, and the traffic was horrific. I felt like I needed a change. I was getting restless.
In November of '08 I received the news that I had been selected to for the job in DC. I was stoked....for about 5 minutes. When it sunk in that I was leaving my home, my life, my friends, and family behind, I thought, "oh crap, what have I done." I would be leaving Phoenix alone. My boyfriend decided he didn't want to come with me nor continue with a long distance relationship (bastard).
When I arrived in Virginia in January I noticed something very odd. It was cold. Yes, cold. I, Karen Marie, desert flower, had not seen snow since I was 2 years old. Nothing prepared me for what I was about to experience. In February I went through my first snow storm. I looked outside one Monday morning and could not see my car because it was covered underneath tons and tons of snow. My commute everyday from Manassas, Virginia to DC was horrific. I didn't realize the commute was so long. It's about an hour and thirty minutes every morning to DC and two hours to go home at night. When I was in Phoenix, it took me twenty five minutes to get to work. This is not fun.
By March my depression got worse when I didn't see the sun for two weeks. I've never gone outside and not seen the sun and the blue skies, (well Phoenix skies are usually brown because of the pollution). By April I was laying in my bed with the covers over my head crying my eyes out. I missed my home, my dogs (who are still in Arizona due to circumstances beyond my control), my friends and my family. I especially missed my brother who is my best friend. By the way, I still have my house in Arizona. I was unable to sell due to the economy tanking. So now I have to rent it out. Luckily my brother is my tenant so that's good news there. On top of that my step-dad is very ill and I'm worried about him. I feel powerless to help him in my depressed state. Luckily he lives in Philadelphia and I can care for him when he needs me.
It was April and I'm still wearing a coat, sweater, hat and gloves. In Phoenix, April is BBQ weather. I'd be out grilling some chicken or steaks. Why is it still so cold?
I realized that I took Phoenix for granted. Before I knew it, I began to miss all of the things I despised about Phoenix. Now, it's summer and the humidity is killing me. I miss the 110 degree dry heat. I miss the desert landscaping and the mountains. I've never even been to the Grand Canyon. Yes, I lived in Phoenix my whole teen and adult life and never seen the
Grand Canyon. I figured it would always be there. It's not like someone is going to come and fill in the hole. Now, I wish I could visit it.
I'll admit, I didn't think things through all of the way when I accepted the job. I guess the only thing I was thinking about was getting away from the stress and pressures of my old job. The new job is awesome and the people there are great. It's August now and I'm just now finding my way. The depression I was feeling is slowly going away. I've made one new friend at work. I still miss Phoenix terribly. The southwest girl in me will always love Phoenix. I will probably never get use to living on the east coast. It's getting better and better day by day.
Just thought I'd share this.
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