Submitted by SapphoTalk t3_zz8i1d in washingtondc
I was living in London for a few years before DC, and had never loved a place that I'd lived as much as that city. Was absolutely obsessed with it. I made the decision to leave when I was very depressed and had just gone through a breakup with my fiancee and restarted in DC a year and a half ago. I really don't want to move back to the UK and go through the process of getting a visa again, and it's much better for my career to be in the US, but I just can't seem to ever get the city 'tingles' here like I have almost every other place I've lived. There are some absolutely gorgeous neighborhoods, great restaurants and bookstores, Georgetown reminds me a lot of Europe, etc. It has everything that I should need to be happy with it, but I just feel emotionally flat. It feels like a Hollywood set of a city, rather than an actual city sometimes. I'm not sure if it's because it's the nation's capital, or if I've just been spoiled by living in a major European city or what. I've also lived in Baltimore and outside of San Francisco and they both gave me the 'feels'. When I visited Philly a while ago I felt it there as well. Almost like I can feel the 'soul' of the city, but I just can't feel anything here.
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I understand maybe this is a therapy question or maybe overly ~~woo~~, but maybe someone else has a similar experience? I like my friends here and really really do not want to have to uproot again, but I think about this every day. I don't know why but the idea of living here the rest of my life just fills me with dread sometimes. The people I've met are great and I love the easy access to the woods and hiking, absolutely adore the fall season, the Smithsonian museums. I really don't understand what's going on.