When I say I’m from Virginia, people in DC automatically assume that I commute from home to work. Not exactly… I come from a very different part of Virginia, where we say y’all, have a restaurant dedicated to chicken and waffles, and pass confederate flags on our way to the local grocery store. Roanoke is about a 4-5 hour drive away from DC, so though I never made a real habit out of visiting the capitol, it is close enough that I have been coming to DC about once or twice a year for a while now.

A family trip during my childhood, visits with my high school, college tours, and a week during the summer after freshman year. I have seen the monuments, been to museums, and eaten lots of fancy cupcakes, but I have never lived or worked here for a longer amount of time. Having the opportunity to live at The George Washington University is especially exciting because I visited the school (twice!) during high school. It’s almost like I am living out a second college experience, without missing out on any of my time at Tulane. I love the closeness of my apartment to all the college favorites (aka a Chickfila in the basement and a Chipotle two buildings down), as well as the ability to walk to work alongside a herd of other interns and businesspeople. I already have a loyalty card for the  nearby cookie shop from the last time I visited, so I guess I feel pretty at home.

Even where I work, right off Dupont Circle, is familiar. I remember staying there on a school trip, and it was where I took the metro, spent time at Kramerbooks, etc. I also see restaurant, shops, and more around GWU and the Mall that I know I’ve eaten or shopped at before. I have always been attracted to the vibe of the city- it’s intelligent, witty, and engaged, and now I can be a part of it. I want to continue branching out, but I’d say I have a pretty good start already.

All these previous visits have left me with some DC favorites. Baked and Wired over Sprinkles cupcakes, American History over Natural History, and any time over Saturday afternoons when it comes to visiting the Mall (I try to avoid the elementary school tour groups at all costs). I like to visit the Newseum and the Holocaust Museum nearly every time I’m in the area, and fancy brunches are always key to a good visit. I am excited to visit all my old favorites in the next couple months, as well as add some new spots to the list as I continue to explore. Overall, I’m ready for an exciting summer, and particularly, an opportunity to continue getting to know what I consider to be one of the coolest, smartest cities in the world.