Native Washingtonian
I was born in the District of Columbia and grew up in Alexandria. My Mom was born in Washington, DC as well; my Grandmother was born in Arlington. My Dad is from Pennsylvania, but moved to DC in the 1960’s. So, you could say we are all locals. It is always interesting to meet people who are native Washingtonians because this entire Metro DC area is so diverse and transient; it seems we natives are a rare breed. However, that’s what makes this area so fascinating – you never know who you will meet.
The Midwest
Despite my love for the metro DC area, I attended Indiana University in Bloomington, which gave me the chance to discover an extremely cool and wonderful town and explore a different region of the country. I really enjoyed living in a completely different region of the country, where cities such as Chicago and Cincinnati set the urban pace. I missed the Washington Post; rather, local Bloomington news and The Chicago Tribune became my main newspaper.
Art
Art is an intense interest of mine. One of the reasons I enjoy living in the Washington, DC area is because of the wonderful access to art at museums such as the National Gallery of Art, although all cities in this country and the world are home to any number of artist creations. I love checking out the latest exhibitions at the National Gallery. The most recent was the exhibit of Andrew Wyeth paintings called Outside looking In.
Travel
I love travel, both domestic and international. I love everything Italian. Period. I’ve been lucky enough to travel there, as well as to France and the UK. My love for Europe aside, America is such a vast plain that one could never see it all; the best times I’ve had involved road trips to one state or another – including several jaunts to Colorado. When you’re in the car, you really see the country. There is no such thing as flyover country in a car, and that’s the way it should be.
One of my favorite places is New York City, because of the art and theatre and omnipresent electricity that courses through the city streets. In Virginia, I consider Williamsburg to be a second home; Williamsburg is the zenith of our country’s history. I can never spend enough time there. I can never get enough New York. I love the diversity of our country.