The Technocrat

Us and DC… Well, it just wasn’t working out.

For reasons personal and professional we’re heading back to Atlanta.

First, the professional: Cindy was accepted to Emory’s PHD program for Health Services Research & Health Policy. Me, I am lucky enough to be able to continue to work for SinglePoint virtually.

The personal: Our primary take-away from DC will be a wonderful set of friends. Outside of that, however, the DC area never quite gelled for us. Why? I could go on about the joys of DC area living (the Beltway, battling interns for parking in Adams-Morgan on a Thursday night, tourists), but what it came down to was Atlanta’s style of work/life balance.

We miss cheap, quality tex-mex. We miss endless afternoons at Little 5′s Brewhouse. We look forward to affordable housing. Most importantly, we miss our friends. When we left Atlanta in 2003, we left behind a group who, despite temptations, couldn’t escape the standard of living Atlanta provides.

Finally, there’s the politics: We acknowledge that, for the rest of the country, Georgia is the deepest of red states. From a distance, and based on the metrics, I can understand this perspective. These critics don’t know who we know, though. The dedicated Young Democrats of Georgia and, particularly, Atlanta are growing in number and increasingly professional, for lack of a better term. To be sure, the GOP is enjoying their moment and will undoubtedly remain a challenging force to overcome, but I know the Young Dem’s. And by the time the “young” moniker is dropped I have no doubt Georgia will turn just a bit more blue.

So, Atlanta, we can’t wait to see you. Brewhouse sometime in August?