January 30, 2010: Park City Meets DC (But Don't Get Used To It)

My first job when I moved to DC eight years ago was on Capitol Hill. For an untraveled guy from out west who was into politics, moving to DC and working on the Hill right out of college was a pretty awesome experience. In good weather, I'd often forgo the tunnels to walk over to the Capitol Building by crossing Independence Avenue. Nothing beat seeing the Capitol Dome lit by the morning sun. My boss used to tell students that the Capitol Building isn't just the center of the legislative branch, it's a temple of freedom. Every time I walked through the Rotunda or saw the dome reflecting the morning sun, I felt the same way about the place. In fact, I felt very lucky to live and work in DC.

As time wore on, that feeling of "lucky me" was replaced by a feeling of "how did I end up here?" I left Capitol Hill to find a better paycheck, which I found in a much more drab building where I helped hand out millions upon millions of dollars that even the Assistant Secretary for whom I worked said she'd prefer to just give back to taxpayers. When I rode my bike to work nearly every day last year, seeing the monuments lit by the morning sun rekindled some of that "lucky me" feeling I had when I saw the Capitol Dome as a Hill staffer. I haven't done nearly enough pedaling since I bought a motorcycle--it seems like more work now that it's the more time-consuming option. (Pedaling was the fun and healthy option when my alternative was the slow and crowded Metro.) So, the unpleasant weather in DC and the usual stresses of a demanding career, combined with what can often seem like a pretty upity culture, often leave me wondering again, "how did I end up here?"

Today, that changed for at least 30 minutes as I rode my motorcycle into the city in weather that felt as nice as a summer morning in Park City, Utah. I had to pull over, step off of my bike, and see that sun lighting up Old Abe, because I knew that standing in that cool dry air, seeing the sun reflect off of the monument, would make me feel lucky to be in DC again.