The State of the Swamp

It is my DC six-month-aversary, so I figured that now would be the right time to give a "State of the Swamp" update from our great nation's capitol. 

^ not my house, but loved this door

I begrudgingly moved here six months ago from my soul city New York (more on that later). But, I've actually come to really appreciate this place! A few days ago during a run through the capitol hill neighborhood it was the perfect temperature and the neighborhood was alive with the first warm breeze of summer. And in that moment I felt so much joy that I had to stop running and just soak in the sensation. It was crazy! I walked a few extra miles with this huge smile on my face before jogging home. 

^ my new tiny room with a giant bed 

That being said, the transition to making D.C. my new home has had its ups and downs, I'm still getting to know the city. But, here are my first impressions.  

Things I dislike: 

- Carpet in the metro cars. Why?!? Just why. 

- Metro stations. Why do they have to be dim-concrete-caves? Also, the fact that it occasionally is smoky and has an acrid smell at my station makes me a little worried. 

- How crazy empty the city center can be on weekends. This is still bonkers to me and was my first impression of DC after coming straight from NYC. 

- Slow. Walkers. Need I say more? Ugh. Especially when trying to catch a train in the morning and people are leisurely strolling or standing (!) on the escalator on both sides. 

- The utter lack of good Mexican food. 

Things I like:

- ROW HOUSES. There are some areas of the city where high-rises are the norm. But, for the most part, if you live in D.C. you probably live in a row house. My favorite neighborhoods to stroll are Capitol Hill and Eastern Market. Don't be surprised if you are consumed with joy because they are so beautiful. 

- Cherry blossoms. Even though climate change froze half of them off this year, they were still beautiful! And the 3 days the magnolia tree next door was in blossom (before the storm) it was insanely gorgeous. 

- Living within walking distance of the Capitol/National Mall/White House has been extremely useful for all the political marches and protests. And unfortunately I don't see them ending any time soon! (I'm going to do a whole post on the Women's March because it was the best) 

- Athleisure. The dress code in D.C. is way more casual than NYC. I liked being fashion-forward and trying new things in NYC, but mt wallet is happier in D.C. 

- Almost all of the museums in D.C. are free admission. I have visited quite a few, but need to make it a point to check out others that have been on my list for a while like the Air and Space Museum and the National Building Museum. 

- I feel very safe in my D.C. neighborhood. I don't have any problem walking out the door with headphones on to go for a run, or sitting on the porch and working on my laptop. (that wasn't true for my Brooklyn apartments) 

- D.C. is full of cool people doing cool things 

Swamp people unite.