This transition to summer living in DC has been great, but there have been a few hiccups I’d like to remember for next time (and since the internet in my long-term memory posting them to my blog is how I can be sure I will remember). Here we go:
3 Mistakes I Made in Moving to Washington DC
- Shopping at Whole Foods (or, Whole Paycheck). Yes, the selection is amazing and I can feel the good karma oozing off of the organically-grown, fair-trade tomatoes, but just because Whole Foods is ubiquitous in DC does not mean it is a good place to shop for a student. I will be shopping at Safeway from now on.
- Forgetting a pillow. Yeah, this is a minor one. In all of my rush to get packed and leave Pittsburgh, I managed to forget my pillow. But this is not really a big deal, since my room is warm and one of my blankets shapes into a lovely pillow.
- Not owning semi-formal shoes. Everywhere I look, there are ladies in snazy sandals, colorful slip-ons, or sleek boots. My shoe collection goes from well-loved running shoes straight to black-leather pumps, with nothing in between. Thank goodness I work at a chill office where people don’t worry about these things too much.
3 Great Choices
- Subscribing to Wesabe (pronounced We Sabe). I can’t even explain how much I enjoy this service. It’s not just that my friend worked for them last summer; this free money-management service is ridiculously fun to use. It feels good knowing where my money is going. Wesabe has slick charts, a easy tagging system, and phenomenally interesting forums on everything from budgeting to simple investing. I get a lot out of this product, and it is my primary method of tracking how I am using my summer money.
- Applying for jobs early. Even with all of the hiccups I’ve experienced getting a part-time job in DC, I felt ready to hit the ground running after I spent the month before getting here looking around craigslist for ideas. In fact, I initially applied for my current job through craigslist!
- Living on the Red Line. The Metro is amazing in Washington DC, but it can be a little irritating switching lines. The fact that I live 25 minutes from my dorm room door to my job makes my morning and evening commutes simple and pleasant. The Red Line is my favorite line.
That’s it! I’ll post more tips as I learn more.
Inspirational Quote:
Those who write clearly have readers. Those who write obscurely have commentators.–Albert Camus
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