Hehe, smiles, can't afford to move! DC is scary place to be. My ASL is good for beginner but beginner I am still.
Here's a story:
Last summer, I had a deaf customer come in but at the time, had no knowledge of ASL under my belt. She wrote down her order and I really wanted to talk with her than just pen and paper. Seems so impersonal! I could speak with the German customers in German and the French customers in French yet I couldn't communicate with a deaf customer of mine. She was one of the reasons I took up ASL. I'm not near the deaf community in my neighborhood but I totally fell in love with the language.
Fast forward to having 2 semesters under my belt of ASL: about a month ago, another lady came in, signed I'm deaf, paper? I was able to sign to her! Her face just lit up, she was so happy! And gosh darn it I could get her a Venti extra pump Toffee Nut Latte!!! I told her to come back in and see me again. Now I won't be there