At least you've got ambitions. Seriously, what I most like and most dislike about DC is that everyone is all out for numero uno. Sometimes you find people looking for friendships, but you have a lot more people forming little alliances and networking circles. Politics OWNS DC. If you're political, you'll love it, though it'll wear on you. And even if you are political, you better watch out for the guys on the opposite side of the aisle.
It's good in that if you do take an interest in the world, you've got a lot of people hanging around who have done some interesting things with their lives and have opinions. In Cali, you get a bunch of coast-centric materialists who really don't make for interesting conversation, at least in LA. Or fruitcakes in San Fran. What I love about DC is that you get the balance and the feeling of being a part of something.
If you do go to DC, I'd really recommend heading over to the Blue Ridge Mountains at least once. They're worth seeing, especially in the fall. They're only two hours away, but that requires that you leave the beltway.
