Having reached the halfway point of the summer (O No!), I've also come to appreciate the subtle ways in which my life in Washington and my life in New York are very different.
Take, for instance, the grafitti. It's ubiquitous in New York, scribbled everywhere --- the majority of it examples of tagging, one name or alter-ego sprayed over another. On my way to work each morning in Washington, however, I'm treated to the spray-painted demands "BRING THE TROOPS HOME" and "NO BLOOD FOR OIL" and "DIE CAPITALISM," while the huge magenta "GO HILLARY GO" still remains my favorite. Less politically inclined, but just as striking was the assertion that "COWBOIES <3 BELLYACHING" that I saw in Starbucks two weeks ago.
It's also nice to be able to get dressed in my room and look out at the woods and chipmunks behind the house, rather than at half-naked painters making rude gestures in the apartment complex across the street.
Above all, summer back home reminds me that there is indeed a massive difference between diet Pepsi and diet Coke, and one is an essential summer-thirst-quencher. That would be diet Coke.
But the humidity here makes it impossible to complain or be that nit-picky. At some point in coming back here, I relinquished my straightener and embraced the fact that my hair would be tangled, would be curly of its own accord, would be a disaster --- but that's just a consequence of being here. The other receptionist at work, however, disagreed. She went to CVS on her lunch break yesterday to pick up some serum for relaxing her hair.
"Can I get you somethin'?"
"I'm just fine, but thanks anyway. I brought lunch."
"No, sweetie...can I get you something for your weave?"
My what???
She seemed amused to realize that I didn't use anything to keep my hair from curling in the summer.
"Nothing to straighten that shit out?" Nope!
Otherwise, everything's fine. Unremarkable, but really fine. It's beyond hot, and all you really need to survive here are a hammock (check!), a glass of lemonade (cooling in the fridge), and an iPod filled with amazing music (any recommendations?). Soon I'll post my July playlist. It won't wipe the sweat off your forehead, friend, but it'll come pretty close.
Much love!
