Dear E.C.S.,
We are 3 months into our DC metro lifestyle...we have a farm share, jobs, daycare, a 99 VW beetle bug (courtesy of the grandparents), and, even, a marine marathon passing by our window on a Sunday morning.
And we love the DC metro area. Obviously, we love its history and its museums, but we also love its diversity, its nature, and its urbanity.
Diversity
Growing up in Utah and then doing Peace Corps in Madagascar, I felt like I was either among almost all "white" people or almost all "black" people. Subsequently, the places that we have lived for longer periods of time (San Francisco, North Carolina, the Bahamas) and some of the shorter-time places (Australia, Las Vegas) have felt slightly better but they all still feel pretty segregated in their own ways -- especially the places that we traveled to. However, DC feels different and much more integrated.
Nature is surprisingly great for a location that is home to more than 6 million people. Our family lives in one of the most concrete jungle neighborhoods of the DC metro (Rosslyn) and yet less than a half-mile from us, we can run on an amazing trail--the Potomac Heritage Trail. Pictures of that trail are above and below.
Not only do we have this trail but we are super close to the Roosevelt Island that the dad (Wilson) blogged about. Two weeks ago, you and I saw 8 deer on this island.
Urbanity
Walking for miles on a weekend is our idea of a good time - our beloved walkabouts. We love the access to coffee shops and libraries that urbanity provides. Walking to visit friends and walking to stroll in the beautiful Georgetown neighborhood.
Pic below of the canal that meanders along Georgetown.
Having access to so much without having to use a car is such a nice way to be outside and spend a warm fall evening.
Walking and running with you through the wonders of DC has been such a pleasure thus far and am excited to see how the next 8 months of DC unfold.
Love,
Mom
We are 3 months into our DC metro lifestyle...we have a farm share, jobs, daycare, a 99 VW beetle bug (courtesy of the grandparents), and, even, a marine marathon passing by our window on a Sunday morning.
And we love the DC metro area. Obviously, we love its history and its museums, but we also love its diversity, its nature, and its urbanity.
Diversity
Growing up in Utah and then doing Peace Corps in Madagascar, I felt like I was either among almost all "white" people or almost all "black" people. Subsequently, the places that we have lived for longer periods of time (San Francisco, North Carolina, the Bahamas) and some of the shorter-time places (Australia, Las Vegas) have felt slightly better but they all still feel pretty segregated in their own ways -- especially the places that we traveled to. However, DC feels different and much more integrated.
According to the Census Reporter, the current population of
the DC Metro area is 6 plus million people.
The breakdown of race/ethnicity is: black – 25%, white -- 46%, hispanic – 15%, asian or pacific
islander—10%, and two plus categories--3%.
And while the US's overall
population demographics of its 321 plus million people is not so dissimilar
(12% black, 61% white, 18% hispanic, 5% asian, 2% two plus, 1% native), the DC
area feels so much more intermingled than so many other places that I have
lived.
It feels weird to point all of this out, however, I like how DC to me, often feels like, you can just be a human surrounded by a lot of "different" looking humans and it doesn't matter, we are all going to the same swanky restaurant or walking the same streets. It's nice to not feel like such a "majority" or a "minority" -- just feel like a human among many humans, regardless of your ancestry, "color", gender identification, etc.
It feels weird to point all of this out, however, I like how DC to me, often feels like, you can just be a human surrounded by a lot of "different" looking humans and it doesn't matter, we are all going to the same swanky restaurant or walking the same streets. It's nice to not feel like such a "majority" or a "minority" -- just feel like a human among many humans, regardless of your ancestry, "color", gender identification, etc.
Nature
Nature is surprisingly great for a location that is home to more than 6 million people. Our family lives in one of the most concrete jungle neighborhoods of the DC metro (Rosslyn) and yet less than a half-mile from us, we can run on an amazing trail--the Potomac Heritage Trail. Pictures of that trail are above and below.
Not only do we have this trail but we are super close to the Roosevelt Island that the dad (Wilson) blogged about. Two weeks ago, you and I saw 8 deer on this island.
Urbanity
Walking for miles on a weekend is our idea of a good time - our beloved walkabouts. We love the access to coffee shops and libraries that urbanity provides. Walking to visit friends and walking to stroll in the beautiful Georgetown neighborhood.
Pic below of the canal that meanders along Georgetown.
Having access to so much without having to use a car is such a nice way to be outside and spend a warm fall evening.
Walking and running with you through the wonders of DC has been such a pleasure thus far and am excited to see how the next 8 months of DC unfold.
Love,
Mom
