On Moving Solo During The Pandemic - Part Two: Moving Out

​I slept quite well last night and woke at around 8.  After putting some final bubble wraps on items, I was met by the movers’ 10:30 arrival.  As they loaded all my furniture into their truck, things became surreal as the apartment no longer felt like mine.  I talked with Damien, the driver, who found a card from Magic: The Gathering, which my brother must have left during his visit last summer.  He indicated he used to play, but having kids put a damper on that.  I thought, I’m glad I’m free to make this move.
 
I can’t stand I-95; it’s always congested, and the only thing to look at is trees.  I also get a bit tepid about city driving, so I was on edge.  That is, until I actually hit DC.  Once I got off 395, I was met with a beautiful urban landscape, along with a view of the Lincoln Memorial as I crossed the Arlington Memorial Bridge.  Rock Creek Parkway is a beautiful drive, and when I hit Connecticut Avenue, I knew I was home.  Just a long street of cool restaurants and shops. 
 
I’m in love with my apartment building.  Apparent solo dwellers abound.  My space is a little smaller than my previous apartment, but I guess that’s the trade-off in urban living.  Chester and I will adjust.
 
I was pretty wiped out after I unloaded my car.  I park in an underground garage, and take an elevator up to the fourth floor.  A little more of a trip than my simple parking spot-to-door route.  For some reason, I crave pizza after doing physical labor.  So I found a place, the Italian Pizza Kitchen, and devoured a personal Italian pizza (sausage, bacon, onions, green peppers) and a cannoli.  Since the movers wouldn’t be making it until the next day, I checked into a nearby Days Inn.  I got an e-mail from the Provost at my new school welcoming us as faculty, which wired me for the night.  I fell asleep quickly but was up at 4:30 this morning.  It’s gonna be a long day for sure!