The Korols go to Washington (well Northern Virginia)

I want to see you game boys,
I want to see you brave and manly,
and I also want to see you gentle and tender.

Be practical as well as generous in your ideals.
Keep your eyes on the stars
and keep your feet on the ground.

Courage, hard work, self mastery, and intelligent effort
are all essential to a successful life.

Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual
and of nations alike

- Theodore Roosevelt

This set of quotes from ol’ Teddy Roosevelt are emblazoned one of the massive stone tablets on Roosevelt Island -- the oft missed and very lovely monument and island here in the DC area.  The island sits just off the Virginian side of the Potomac, looking to Georgetown and the Kennedy Center.  It has become one of my favorite places in DC, now about a half-mile from our building and a dominant feature of the city from our buildings rooftop patio.

I have been back in Washington (well Northern Virginia technically) for a bit more than a week.  And it has been unequivocally great.  First off, because we are back together as a family.  Elle started daycare and it has been going well. Her teachers love the dancing she does.  Elle sweetly dances and smiling says always in a group of three “Shake, Shake, Shake.”  One of her teachers today told Muriel that she must have picked that soul in the Bahamas. And she must have.

Being back in a proper urban environment has been such a revelation.  Nassau living has much to offer, like the beach 100 yards from our house with clear water, perfect temps and lot of turtles and tiger rays.  But besides the beach, we had to drive pretty much everywhere there.  Here?  No so much, with a great blend of options from walking, to biking, to running, to metro, to uber all literally steps from our apartment.  Add in that there can be discovery in a city, the fun of walking along and stopping in a food spot, bar or store that charms.  Or finding a gem on Yelp that is like a block and half to the east and certainly worth a try.

We are ensconced in Rosslyn again, right across the Key Bridge from Georgetown.  Muriel has a super mellow commute of five stops, and she was ‘complaining’ a few days ago that the run home from work was too short to get a proper workout.  Although with the heat we have been having in our nation’s capital this week, that would be a plenty taxing run. Elle and I can head to work either via our lent car from my parents or a State Department shuttle.  Right now, I think we will rely on the flexibility of the car, but she does love the shuttle so that is always a viable backup. 

So much of this week has been revisiting people, places and things that we came to love 2 years ago for our summer in this city.  Yet even with a concerted effort to soak up the reentry--there is so much more to enjoy and many, many more people to share some time.  Those two purposed will dominate our personal time over the next months, and I am so excited about the good times to come. 

We miss our home of two years, but life in the Foreign Service sort of has to be forward focused and in true Belichick fashion we are “on to Washington.”  Bring it.