Appreciate Arlington Virginia Before You Head to College

Guilt overpowers me as I slowly end my first-year orientation at Grinnell College in Iowa. The atmosphere here is charming, but not at all what I grew up with in Northern Virginia. The golden fields of corn surround quaint family stores, making the Wal-Mart Supercenter the only icon of true capitalism in this chatter of small town life. Every glimpse of a rolling pasture that extends for miles reminds me that maybe I too often took Arlington for granted.

That's not to say that the Iowa countryside isn't beautiful and that Grinnell doesn't offer many wonderful opportunities, but the area definitely lacks things that were abundant in Arlington---from large schools to huge shopping centers to overflowing libraries. And that's exactly why I'm writing this letter, to remind you---Arlington teens---to appreciate your county before you graduate from high school and leave. You'll be surprised how quickly high school ends and how soon you'll be leaving Arlington. I was.

Visit these places often. Love them. Remember them. Thomas Jefferson Community Center. The Ellipse Gallery. Ballston Common Mall. Quincy Park. Harrison Center. Westover. Bon Aire Park. Lubber Run Amphitheatre. Potomac Regional Park. Four Mile Run. Arlington Central Library. Shirlington. The Career Center. Pentagon City Mall. Gulf Branch Nature Center. And never forget Arlington's convenient location next to Washington, D.C.---no city has that many impressive monuments, museums, and parks with free admission.