So okay...

For the month of August I was working with a family in Fairfax, VA. The hours were long, but the opportunity was worth it. The family was very accommodating, providing a private bedroom/bath and laptop for personal use which I used to facilitate at least 1 daily activity outing with their toddler. Best of all, I became familiar with some of the greater DC area. That is VERY important in my line of work. In Los Angeles, I know what resources are available. I can be anywhere in LA and know all the park playgrounds, museums, libraries and baby activities AND gauge driving distances at ANY given time of day. I can have my agency call with a new position and know the fastest route and shortcuts during rush hour.

Here, I am lost.

I know it's going to take time to get my bearings in this new area and some of that can be very exciting, but let me just tell you...that was NOT the case this week!! I just started a new position with a baby girl in Washington D.C. on Tuesday and because it's in mid-city, I decided I would try public transportation. Now let me just say honestly, that I LOVE the freedom of movement that my car provides. Sitting in traffic is just a part of life for me, but I've long considered the idea of the train and subway because of greenhouse gas emmisions and because it is now an option whereas in LA it's virtually impossible. So I did all the research online and mapped out the stations and subway stops and bus schedules and set out before the crack of dawn on Wednesday morning. This is how it went:

5:30am-Drive 55 miles to the closest commuter rail station. Park 6 blocks away and run (walk fast) to station only to have the freakin' train be late!

7:15am- Sit on the train reading my kindle. Sweet!

8:48am- Train pulls into Union Station late, yikes!! No time for the subway and bus, I have to hail a cab.

9:05am- LATE TO WORK!!
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4:00pm- Walk 2 blocks to hop onto the bus. Squished next to someone else, but hey, at least I'm sitting down.

4:30ish- Get off bus and walk 2 blocks to Union Station. Board train and read my kindle. NICE.

6:00pm- Walk 6 blocks to my car and drive 50miles home.

"Not bad, but not great", I tell myself. "Suck it up and keep trying. It must get better than this once you're used to it!"

That night I find another station where parking isn't 6 blocks away (seriously, that's just BS!) and the next morning I set out before the crack of dawn again.

5:30am- Arrive just 3 min. before train scheduled to depart. Park car and run (really run this time) to station just to have the FREAKIN' train be late again!

7:10am- Get off at different stop to allow time for subway and bus travel. Go underground to subway station and buy 3 different tickets before I finally figure out the right one and board subway.

8:30ish- Emerge from underground in a rush because I need to catch my bus and luckily enough I spot my bus the moment I emerge and I run to it screaming "STOP!" and the driver stops and I hop on figuring that 1 of those 3 different tickets I bought earlier would take care of my fare, but no.....I need another kind of card for the bus! The driver took pity on me and just took all the change I had in my wallet instead so I sit down and breath a sigh of relief and as I'm looking out the window I realize the bus is going in the wrong direction!!

Me- "Isn't this the G8 route, Mr. Bus Driver?"

Driver- "No ma'am, it's the 68 route."

Me- "WHAT??!! MOTHERF***ER!!!"

8:50- Driver pulls over and I get off totally disheartened. I hail a cab and head to work.

9:05am- LATE TO WORK AGAIN!!!

I don't know yet what I will do next week. I'd like to think that I won't give up on public transportation so quickly, but it's tempting when commuting in my car goes like this:

6am- Get in car and merge onto freeway. Drive 90 miles in a straight line while listening to CNN on XM and flipping over to CD playlists or an audiobook whenever news becomes repetitive.

8:30am- Park in front of client's home!! I'm early, am I? Maybe I'll walk to the corner coffee shop? Or update my calendar. Or maybe just pick at my cuticles while daydreaming about my next vacation.

There has GOT to be a better way. And there is. It's called moving to DC, goddammit!!