Going Home

I just made my first trip back to Washington, D.C., after almost a year since I left. I had so much fun and loved seeing some of my closest friends. With them, I felt at home. But everywhere else, I felt like a stranger. Sure, I knew my way around, and stopped into lots of places where I used to pick up presents for birthdays or meet friends for coffee, but all of the people in my usual haunts were new. I didn't know the barista. I didn't know the girls at Salt & Sundry. And my favorite instructor was not on the schedule at SoulCycle. Even in my old apartment building, I felt like a visitor.

It was still fun being a visitor. First, Whitney took me to Little Pearl, the chicest new coffee shop and wine bar brought to you by chef and owner Aaron Silverman of Michelin-star restaurants Pineapple & Pearls and Rose's Luxury. It is in the beautiful historic carriage house of the old Naval Hospital in Capitol Hill. It had creamy white brick walls, herringbone and slate floors, sleek black tables, concrete countertops, brass ceiling-mounted shelving, modern-glam light fixtures and floor-to-ceiling windows. When we all ordered the breakfast wrap, I was skeptical, but it's crepe-like toasted flour wrap, crunchy potatoes, roasted peppers, and creamy scrambled eggs were so simple and yet so delightful to eat.

The sunroom at Little Pearl

Next, after traipsing down 14th Street with Steve, we went back to my hotel The Line DC for drinks and snacks. It blew me away. The space is bigger than anything in Adams Morgan and it is located in an unexpected part of town. Most of the new development is opening up much farther east on 14th Street, 9th Street, Florida Avenue, and H Street. But there it was, a few doors down from the late-night McDonald's I used to frequent after a night of cheap beer. Their first hotel is in Los Angeles and I never thought anything this cool would be in stuffy Washington, D.C.

It is obviously going to be great for the neighborhood. The ethos of The Line is really to feature local businesses, and they've put together a fantastic book of stories about the neighbors, named simply "Here." They have really done their research and tapped into the vibe and history of the neighborhood. "Here" features folks who have been in Adams Morgan as far back as the Civil Rights era, including the owner of second-hand bookstore Idle Time Books, and restauranteurs who are new to the neighborhood like Erik Bruner-Yang of H Street's Maketto who opened The Line's lobby restaurant Brothers and Sisters. 

Here, The Line DC's guide to Adams Morgan's small businesses

I instagrammed the heck out of this place. I couldn't help myself. Every little corner was perfect. Here are some photos of my favorite things:

Being in D.C. made me realize that to feel at home and connected to a place, you have to invest in it, nurture it, and grow with it, much like being in a relationship. In the time I've been gone, it has developed a very different character. It feels cool for the first time, which I envy, but don't miss, because it's not mine. The people who work in my local coffee shop are different and they don't know me, which makes it feel like theirs. The young, trendy patrons have made it theirs. I'm just a visitor and observer. They are regulars and neighbors.

It reminds me of the rose and the fox in The Little Prince. “It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.” It's yours because you water it, give it sunshine, and watch it grow. It has a little piece of you, and you care about it because you have invested that piece of you.

So just what did I invest in D.C. that made it so special to me? Well, my friends first and foremost. My job and my colleagues. My local businesses. I was a regular and a familiar face. And I often ran into people I knew on the street.

This city that I used to love, where I spent more than a decade becoming an adult, has changed in big and small ways. Some places I barely recognize, some are the same but with new people. Seeing these changes made me realize that home - belonging, kinship, sense of place - is about the investment you make. In that way, perhaps I am making Seattle my home. I know my local barista and florist. We have a few neighborhood restaurants where we like to spend date nights. My work is contributing to the well-being of the city. And we are exploring new things every day.

It's been fun writing these blog posts about exploring Seattle and traveling around the West Coast. It makes me appreciate it in a way I might have taken for granted if I didn't take time to reflect on what being in these places meant to me. Moving is hard and getting to know a new city feels strange, but it is an investment. And because of it, I feel a little more connected. Before I left for D.C., I thought I was going home. But whenever I come back to Seattle, the familiar road from the airport, the view of Puget Sound from Alaskan Way, and the bend right before I get to my apartment - that feels like coming home.