I'm back in Dallas after a long stint in the Midwest, Cincinnati specifically. The Corp started firing people within months of my arrival those few years back, and after a change of the Old Men who run things, the Cincinnati office fell under a bad cloud, and has been winding down at a geologic rate. All that to say I've known I was gonna have to move for quite some time, and as details trickled down, it was either Dallas or DC.
Dallas was where I grew up. My one trip to DC was fun, but unlike most cities, I found the place unsettling. It might have just been the old me uncomfortable with authority. It might have been the bizarre arrangement of the streets and buildings. Whatever it was, I couldn't quite put my finger on it, and have just let it be the one city I've been to I found little charming about.
There were benefits to DC: back on the coast, hours from New York, a plenitude of professional women. But Dallas, well, it's where I grew up, and I'm tired of re-building a life. I've found it's true what they say – it all gets harder as you get older. I'd be surprised if this is the final destination, Austin is far more likely, but it's a step in the direction.