August - 1997

This was DQ is the summer of 1997. Back then she was really more of a Drama Toddler than a Drama Queen.

She wasn't the only one who was much younger then - so were hubbo and I. Being very young and a little, dare I say, immature, our thoughts on moving to Virginia tended to be a little rosy and tending less towards those of responsible adults. The promotion for hubbo was exciting and I know we were all looking forward to making new friends and getting to know Washington, DC but I was probably equally enthusiastic about the idea of living in a hotel for a while and having all of our living expenses paid for by DH's employer. It sounded like a party to me. I wouldn't be working. I wouldn't have to clean the house or cook every night. We could eat out as often as we liked and just ask for new sheets rather than making the bed. Woo hoo! I had no idea just how fast that would all get old.
This was home to us all through July of 1997. It was the Summerfield Suites in Herndon, Virginia. We had a unit with a bedroom and a living room with a small kitchen. There was a lovely pool. They served breakfast every morning and warm cookies in the afternoon. As hotels go, it was lovely but one thing was missing - our stuff.

We arrived with our cars full of a few toys for DQ, clothes for us and our computer. It was pretty limited and it wasn't long before we started to crave the things that were packed away - somewhere - in storage. Another thing I learned during this time was that I was the type of mommy who needed to work. I loved DQ and we had a great time finding new playgrounds as we explored our new home but at the end of the day, when hubbo would arrive home, I was often out the door to the mall or elsewhere. Being a full time mommy was hard for me.

I even missed the cooking and cleaning - kind of. I could cook in the kitchenette at the hotel but the utensils and space were limited. For once I had the time to really create fabulous meals but all of my kitchen toys were... in storage. I was amazed to realize that even eating in restaurants gets old after a while. Who knew?

It was a huge relief to finally move into our new apartment in early August. I started shopping for new towels and sheets and all of the little touches that would turn it into a home. In Long Island, we had a 2 bedroom that was large but old and had no amenities. Here we had 2 bedrooms and a den in addition to our living room and kitchen! We had our own washer and dryer and, best of all... a dishwasher. The complex had a pool and an exercise room (not that I used it). We even had 2 patios and a fireplace. Best of all, the rent was about the same as Long Island. We were amazed at our good fortune.

We started to adjust to our new life and become reacquainted with all of our stuff. It was a really great time and we felt like we were finally settling down. Hah! Not so much but that's a story for another day.

See you when I return from vacation.