I Heart Washington, DC

It recently occurred to me that I've never written about living in DC. Sure, it's been the backdrop and setting of every post for nearly four years, but never the sole focus, which is a real shame.

I never envisioned even a small part of my life's story taking place here. I'm fairly certain if you told 12 year old Sam that she would one day be making her home in the nation's capital, she would gag (negatively). How odd that I am here and not my elected politician brother! Throughout my childhood and teen years, I had grand dreams of living in New York City and embracing a fast-paced, ever-changing, city life. Broadway shows, Central Park, and skyscrapers all being part of my day-to-day.

Instead, after nearly 100 job applications and only two interviews following my college graduation in 2022, I found myself packing up bags to move to Washington, DC. Well... Arlington, VA, but I only lived there a year before I deemed it not my vibe and repacked my bags to go over the river. Now here I am in a city with a handful of fast-paced neighborhoods and a dozen more that move at a snail's pace. No skyscrapers to speak of. Tons of parks, though!

DC is easy to hate. There is a certain someone and their underlings working here right now, which is certainly tainting my view to and from work. The anxiety of the nation is palpable, almost physical. Sometimes people ask what you do for work before the learn your last name. Work can sometimes come before life. Cars get stolen. Sports teams leave much to be desired. The National Guard does... something. Maybe nothing? In the summers I am brutally reminded that this place is a swamp.

My young brain thought all of these negative things about DC and more before my inevitable move. Even worse, I was genuinely one of those people that thought "Well, nobody actually lives in Washington, DC! Everyone just works there and goes home to another portion of the DMV when the day is done." 

How wrong I was. 

I live here. As do my friends. As do a bunch of my coworkers. All of us within the confines of 68.9 square miles that doesn't qualify for statehood.

There's about ~700,000 people that call this city home. That's more than either Wyoming or Vermont. 

Living here has been the greatest surprise of my life. When I first stepped foot in Arlington, I was surrounded by a city I was uninspired by, and only ventured into DC to work at a job I hated. Initially, I gave myself one or two years before I was confident I would move on to greener pastures (larger cities). Then I moved into the actual city, not just the V portion of DMV, and got a new job. Suddenly the prospect of staying seemed a lot brighter and less life ending. 

I feel as though most assume that DC is a boring, uninspiring, severe city with only a handful of museums for entertainment. Reader, I am here to personally tell you how wrong that assumption is. DC is absolutely alive with inspiration, joy, and passion. There are free events weekly, if you know where to look, and community gatherings on every corner. As a collective, the people of Washington, DC are so incredibly open to new. New people, new cultures, new experiences. Most importantly, the citizens of Washington care about one another and the country at large. 

Events are frequent and often free, which helps offset the cost of living. In the spring, we have a chihuahua race to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, Adams Morgan Porchfest, and the Cherry Blossom Kite Festival. In the summer, there are often streets closed in Capitol Hill so that local kids can set up bounce houses and ride their bikes. People crowd the park for Jazz in the Garden. Tourists nearly hit you with their Lime scooters. Pride takes over every neighborhood in some capacity, with streets full of people celebrating. In the autumn, there is yet another Porchfest and a wiener dog race for Oktoberfest. We have a yearly high heel race where men try not to break their ankles claiming victory. Finally, in winter we have countless holiday markets filled with local vendors. Throughout the year various embassies open their doors for people to experience their culture. There are farmers markets in almost every area of the city. We have pandas at our (free) zoo! 

Beyond the fun aspects of the city, where life feels so vibrant, there is also an incredibly serene sense of calm that radiates. I go on daily walks or runs, just because I find my neighborhood so incredibly gorgeous. The lack of skyscrapers mean we get to enjoy tree-lined streets with the sun streaming through the leaves. Almost any part of the city that isn't Downtown is so quiet it can make you forget you aren't in a small town. In fact, sometimes when I am on a street corner, staring at a few small shops and townhomes, I can almost trick myself into thinking I'm home, walking the streets of downtown North East, PA. You can feel the history of the city around you and the importance of the streets you walk on. There are always families walking their dogs. There is always a happy couple holding hands. Groups of friends always congregate at local parks, restaurants, and bars. I actually don't even know how much justice I can do here, you just have to trust me, the city feels magical.

I love the metro and how easy it makes getting around. I love that I have friends from all around the country and world at-large. I love how different our life experiences are and how, despite that, we all found ourselves in the same city, sometimes playing soccer at the same time every week. I love how there is no such thing as being bored here, except when you want to be. The endless coffee shops and bookstores, the ambition, the arts scene, the obsession with fitness, the parks, the vintage shops, the diversity. I love it all. 

Really my only grudge (politics aside) is the lack of really good Mexican cuisine. It's taken me years to find my secret spots and I'm not telling anyone. 

I understand that maybe this place isn't for everyone. Just like how I have discovered that NYC isn't for me. But I desperately need people to understand that we, as a city and a people, are more than what you see on the news. We aren't headlines, or Capitol Hill, or 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW. People live here. More importantly, people's lives are here. 

This place is now integral to who I am and who I will become. I started my first chapter of post-grad here and have grown into my own adulthood throughout the proceeding four years. I've been forced to grow up and learn throughout my time here - truly navigating who I am and where I (may) want to go in life. I have no intentions of leaving anytime soon. 

If any of my readers ever find themselves sharing this city with me, even if only for a few days, please reach out. I would love to show you what I know to be true.

With love,

Sam