W:

How would you describe this chapter of your life, and what do you think that its teaching you?

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I guess the chapter of my life I am in right now is ... a new adventure, in that it is pushing me outside my comfort zone, and zone of familiarity in many ways.

Today is Sunday, so three days ago, Thursday I moved to Richmond, Virginia. And never in my life did I think I would be living in Richmond, Virginia. I grew up on the northern edge of D.C. and I lived just a few blocks over from the Montrose Av. L stop in East Williamsburg for four years.

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I think this part of my life teaching me to have an open mind and to really not be so constricted by own idea of who I am. Everyone who knows me ... knows Alex is someone who is a quintessential urban resident.

I love the energy of this park, for instance, just so many people here enjoying it together, its awesome. The way public space is utilized here, I love not having a car. I have never owned a car, and that has been fantastic. Just the density of urban life, all those things that make D.C. and New York such good fits for me, its defined me in many ways, and now to be living some place that is so much not that. hahah

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I worked on the Hill briefly out of college, then I took a job in New York. Thats why I came to New York and lived here for four years, but it wasn’t really related to the work that I thought I would be doing. I thought I would be working on international issues, but instead I took a job as a civil public defender in the Bronx, because much like now, the level of responsibility I had was greater than what I would have been doing in the U.N. or amnesty international, or some international organization...

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...[That was] the most interesting job for that moment in my life, but if I had taken maybe a lower-level job, one that had more grunt work, less autonomy, less responsibility, maybe it wouldn't have been as interesting, but would it have set me up where I could have a very fulfilling job later on, now in life and be in New York?

So all of these things were swirling around in my mind. Did I fuck up my life by my decisions I made earlier? But now at this point, having moved, all of my stuff is in my apartment now, I am feeling a little optimistic.

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