Why I Love Washington, DC

A few days ago, I did something I almost never do: struck up a conversation with a stranger sitting next to me on a park bench.  As an introvert, this is a rare occurrence for me.  To give you some context, he was reading a copy of Eat, Pray, Love and I’ve been thinking of picking it up before my planned trip to Bali later this year.  (Verdict: after his enthusiastic recommendation, I’ll definitely be adding it to my Amazon cart!)

We began chatting and I soon learned he was in town from Florida and visiting my adopted hometown of Washington, DC for the first time.   I told him that my parents live in Florida and I love it; it’s a beautiful place, especially the Gulf Coast.  His response surprised me.

“I like it much better here,” he said, gesturing out at all the picnickers and office workers enjoying their lunches outside in Farragut Square on the first really nice spring day of the year.  “I mean, look at this.  Florida doesn’t have these kind of outdoor spaces.  This is a great city!”

And you know what?  He’s absolutely right.

I’m a New Englander by birth, but I’ve lived in DC (or technically, just outside of it) and worked in the city on and off for over a decade.  I’ve now been back for six years, and I think it’s pretty clear that this is the place I’m going to stay.  Partly this is because I work in the public policy field; there’s really no other place I could do my job than right here.  But my new park bench friend was right; DC is a fantastic city, and one I don’t think always gets the credit it deserves.

As I’ve begun my journey as a travel blogger, I’ve also broadened the scope of travel blogs I read regularly.  One trend I’ve noticed is that a lot of bloggers write not only about their travels, but also feature the highlights of the place they live: home state, adopted city, expat country.  But I’ve come across very little writing about Washington so far in the travel blog universe.  It mostly features in bloggers’ stories as the place they lived and worked at a boring entry-level job for a few months before they could break free and begin their round-the-world adventure and launch into their “real” travel.

Of course, DC does get a multitude of tourists every year (especially during cherry blossom season, when the metro magically starts running on time during the weekend).  Clearly, lots of people come here and enjoy the city.  But I feel like for most first-timers, a trip to DC means two things: monuments and museums.  Spend a day in the Smithsonion at the Natural History and Air and Space Museums; gawk at the White House and get a picture from outside the gate; do a nighttime tour of the Lincoln, Jefferson, and Vietnam memorials, and you’re all set, right?

These are all great attractions and I completely understand why first-time visitors would have them at the top of their must-see list.  But there is so much more to DC than this!

DC is a city full of some of the smartest, most interesting people I’ve ever been fortunate enough to meet.  People who live here long-term often arrive from other parts of the country and all around the globe, drawn by the type of professional, personal, and cultural opportunities that only exist in the nation’s capital.  This mix of people makes for a really interesting social scene; meet anyone at happy hour and they’re likely to regale you with stories of their time in the Peace Corps or their current projects at a think tank or their job within the U.S. government.  And only in DC can you subscribe to an email newsletter that keeps you up to date on the latest embassy receptions and cultural events.

Kennedy Center

But as much as DC is heaven for politics and international affairs junkies (like me), it offers so much more that first-time visitors may not realize is here.  Art museums and galleries galore.  Amazing restaurants offering every kind of cuisine you could ever want.  Charming neighborhoods full of shops, cafes, and glorious architecture.  And, as my friend pointed out, beautiful open spaces where people can hang out on a sunny day and just take it all in.

So…all of this praise of my adopted  hometown is by way of saying that I’ve decided to expand my blog’s focus a bit to include more content on DC.  I’ll still write primarily about my travels, but there are also great things right here at home that I’d love to share with readers (and plenty of things I have yet to cross off my own bucket list, so maybe this will give me a bit of inspiration!)

Expect more DC-related blog pieces over the next few weeks and months, as the city launches into springtime, aka Cherry Blossom Festival season, which is probably the best time to visit.  I hope to keep posting about DC and my adventures here as the year goes on.  Because as much as I love to travel and see the world, on a typical weekend, this is where you’ll find me.  And seriously, how lucky am I to be able to say that?

Have you visited DC (or do you live here?) What do you think of the city?  Any recommendations to share?