I’m a very happy person by disposition, though I’ve been known to have my emo moments. However, one thing I have learned about myself is that I very rarely like the place I am until it’s time to leave.
For instance, I spent four and a half years in Berkeley, and it wasn’t until my last year that I truly started to enjoy it. Suddenly, its wonders started presenting themselves to me like a blossom of gastronomic joy. Where the hell was Gregoire all my life? Why didn’t I go to Kermit Lynch before?
I am also a native of the Los Angeles region–Alhambra and South Pasadena, to be exact–but I can’t say I truly loved LA until I left for law school here in DC. Now I love LA; every moment I spend there on break is a little blessing.
You might have heard me railing on DC. I’ve always had the feeling that it’s trying to be like many different cities but failing. I hate the crazy humidity of the summer, and I don’t like the absolute lack of tall buildings. I hate how the Metro closes early–or at all–and how the bars close early. I also don’t consider myself a very political person, which considering the town is not such a good thing.
However, DC has begun to grow on me. There are little pockets of DC, a coffee shop here or a restaurant there, an alleyway here or a circle there, that I love. Of course, one can choose to explain this cynically by pointing out that every city has its charms. Still, I think I’ll be missing Amsterdam Falafelshop a lot once I leave DC.
Vinicultured: A Wine Blog 