Yeah Baby! The Steelers are Going to the Super Bowl!!

Yes, I’m pretty excited that the Steelers are headed to the big game. I might have to try to score a babysitter and find a party to attend.

It was sixteen years ago that I left Pittsburgh to come to DC. I was in love and that is what brought me to the nation’s capital. The love didn’t work out, but I decided to stay in DC anyway. I will always love Pittsburgh, but I’m no longer certain that I would ever go back.

I have a love/hate relationship with DC. There are certain aspects of living here that are great. The history, monuments and museums are superb. I have had many great opportunities to do things here that many Americans might not ever have a chance to do. There’s nothing like freezing your butt off in the middle of January to witness a Presidential Inauguration. The nation’s capital throws a 4th of July bash like no other. I would have gone to the Reagan funeral procession, but stayed with the kids and let my husband go to see it. I have been to an official Election Night party, had a private tour of the White House, and had dinner at the Supreme Court.

DC is a very competitive city. Mostly I’ve found it is about whom you know and what they can do for you. I’m not by nature a competitive person. I tend to stand back and watch what goes on around me. For me it isn’t about the politics, but more so the opportunity to have experiences that I might otherwise not have. Every time I fly out of National Airport or drive across the Woodrow Wilson bridge it is a privilege to see the Washington Monument.

The politics and the competitiveness can be a drag. I spent 10 years in dating hell in this city—more of the who you know and what can that get me. I have met plenty of people, but have a small core group of friends, very few of which are involved in politics. There is a lot of superficiality here. Living here is often like living in a bubble. It seems people sometimes get so wrapped up in themselves here they forget what life is like beyond the beltway. The stress level is high in this city. Hard-working people that are fighting for what they believe. It can wear you out over time.

The reasons why I wanted out of western Pennsylvania, however, have turned around and seem to be the reasons why I would leave DC now.