some people divide their lives into chapters. after inspiration from one of my friends, gabby, i now plan to parse my life into "seasons." i mean, we talk about survivor and american idol and the real world in seasons and casts. season 1: the naked guy, kelly clarkson, and puck. right?

so, in thinking about the seasons of my life, i have series from miami, st. louis, dc, and now boston. and to be more exact, each city has its own set of casts.

during my rendezvous to DC last weekend, gabby mentioned that she's on "DC: season 4." which is great, but not quite as spectacular as seasons 2 and 3. (her words; not mine)

but in smelling the air of politics, soaking in the light of motorcades, and tasting warm cosi bread ends, i realized just how much i miss my own DC series -- and all 3 casts.

there is a movie called the neverending story II ... which is great, but not quite as spectacular as the original. anyway, the premise is that the same book is never actually the same when reread. and it's not that the book has changed but rather that we have. and so our experience with the same material is inherently different.

i'd imagine it's kind of like sex with an ex significant other. which, for better and worse, i'm unfamiliar with.

i mean, i still receive my DC neighborhood listserv in my e-mail each day (and on good days, twice!) and communications from my cats' adoption shelter. i still read the washington post and check the changing menu of my favorite local restaurant. i ask about the developments at my former jobs and keep in touch with all of my bosses.

so as i rode the metro, ate at my favorite restaurants, and walked up 14th street, i realized how familiar everything felt.

but it just wasn't the same.

although i'd like to think so, i assume there wasn't some city-wide watershed when eric and i left DC. so i can only conclude that it's not that the city has changed, but rather that i have.

it did make me cognizant, however, of how serious the boston season of my life is. admittedly, some episodes of DC were slower than the fast-paced downward spiral of the current season, but at least it had love. and professional development. and, most importantly, cool license plates.

it also had far more people who were able to not take themselves so fucking seriously.

the thing about DC is that every meal inevitably turns into a discussion about politics. and cab rides are ridiculously expensive. and you come to the realization (and horror) that united states policy is actually written by twenty-somethings.

and there are always, always delays on the red line.

but there's also no other place you'd think nothing of seeing wolf blitzer (who i have secretly been in love with since 2004) walking through the train station. and no other place you'd think nothing of voting on burritos to accurately predict an election winner. and no other place where nonprofits undermine each other's success in a competition to save the world.

maybe that was just DC series, season 3.

perhaps it's just that the mold is always greener on the other side.