THE DMV
I have always loved DC. I visited in 1992 for a Clinton inaugural with my high school marching band. Then spent summer of 1998 as an intern at both ends of PA Ave. It was all gorgeous and exciting and meaningful and made me think I'd work in politics. (Until I did and discovered the long hours, low pay, instability, and public scorn as a reward for our efforts.)
Still, this city's grand, greco-roman buildings, monuments, history, food scene, and centrality in world affairs make me pinch myself when I remember we live here now. Josh and I literally drive downtown on date nights sometimes just to see it and be inspired without ever leaving our car (#pandemic). With all the arts and museums and tours still closed, it feels like a gift we'll still be opening for years to come.
MARYLAND
When I was a kid and created questionnaires for myself about my favorite things (yes, I did that), and I asked myself if I could live in any state, where would it be? I said Maryland. No joke. I was living outside Philly at the time, and Maryland felt like the perfect distance from DC, Baltimore, Philly, NYC, Boston, the coast, the mountains, and either climate extreme--plus it's where I went to summer camp on the Chesapeake.
All of that is still true, and while we haven't been able to explore the cities yet, we've already begun taking advantage of the history and topography. MD crams a lot in a small space. Within an hour of our house, there are mountains and beaches, battlefields and historic homes, dairy farms and waterfalls, and more museums than I can count. Before we got here, I felt like we had pretty much exhausted the sites within a 3hr drive from Nashville #30years, so it's been exciting to start on a whole new list.
And to experience a different culture. We initially tried to look for a house in Virginia, thinking in-state tuition at all those VA colleges would look pretty good in a few years. But there's only one bridge across the Potomac near NIH, and it's the definition of a bottleneck. Plus housing prices are insane.
So we opted for Maryland, where Josh could be 1.5mi from the office (haha #pandemic #WFHð) and we'd explore an almost New-England style coast (with things like "wharfs" and "harbors" and LOTS of crabs), a come-as-you-are aesthetic (no makeup required #mfeo), and an extra dose of non-profit zeal. I cannot tell you how many people I've met here who have prioritized doing good over earning money. It's wonderful.
It has been especially interesting to move from one of the 5 reddest states to one of the 5 bluest states during a very contentious election year. I have been alternately thankful and stressed out by the balance this has brought to my Facebook friends and feed. While the result can make me feel like a fish-outa-water in either place, it has also given me countless opportunities to be a bridge or interpreter between different worldviews. This year more than most, I think it has been God's work in me and for me to do.
MOCO
Once we chose MD, Montgomery County was a no-brainer as it sits right next to DC, contains the NIH, and has great public schools. Bonus, it has an incredibly diverse population. We went from a county that is 84% white to one that is 42% white. MoCo contains 4 of the 10 most ethnically diverse towns in America. It has been incredibly refreshing.
My 7th grade year, my dad lived in Hong Kong for his job, my brother went on an exchange to India, we hosted a German student in Philly, and then Mom and I spent the summer with Dad in Asia. At the end of that year, my family moved to Hendersonville, TN. I grew to love that town and its people, but I could feel my world contract from continents to counties. When we visited my brother in ATL, I wanted to spend time in IKEA just to be around a diverse population again.
There is something so vibrant and connected about being with people of all different backgrounds, from all over the world. And the fact that they're so educated makes it all the more fascinating. It is constantly disrupting my preconceptions and hacking away at my blind spots while introducing me to some of the best food (granted mostly takeout) and conversation (via zoom) I've had in a while. I cannot wait until our church can meet in-person again, and we can invite families for dinner to learn from and enjoy this kaleidoscope more, but in the meantime our zoom small group, Bible study, book club, and church services have been LIFE-GIVING.
We also moved to a much more densely populated area: from ~300 people/sqmi to ~2000 people/sqmi. The downside would be traffic (if everyone were not staying home) but the upside is that every major retail chain has a store within about 2mi of my house. Now I can see why VA--at 9mi away--feels SO far.ð
KENSINGTON
Before we moved, Josh's colleague set me up on a phone call with his wife to learn more about the area. When she told me they live in Kensington, I was pretty dismissive. She described a small town within the big city that was still walkable -- an urban Mayberry, if you will.
I was looking further out in suburbia (i.e. Potomac) where the housing prices and lot sizes felt more familiar and the public schools were ranked higher (top 500). i.e. Maryland's version of TN's Williamson County (where we were coming from).
But over the months that followed, her description niggled in my brain. Did we really want more of the same kind of bubble? How much time would Josh be spending in traffic? (ha. ha.) What would it be like to instead walk into town, or to the metro, or to Rock Creek Park? What if we could live in a mixed-income area? This was our chance to try something really different.
My biggest hang-up was the US News ranking of the local high school (1300+), but that did not seem to reflect the attitudes and programs we were hearing about from everyone we talked to. So, despite those reservations, we took the plunge when the perfect house appeared at just the right moment. It felt like we were stepping out in faith. Amazingly, when the 2020 rankings came out, they showed the same high school in the 300s. Turns out they hadn't submitted all their test scores in 2019. #whew
Still, this part of our location makes me nervous if I think about it too much, because the school system is in the process of rezoning. I'm not especially worried about our kids #thekidsllbealright, but I do think about our home value. It could drop significantly depending on what is decided. However, the way everything came together to place us in this house, I'm choosing to trust that God will direct us from here, even if it means absorbing a loss.
WARNER ST
How dare I forget to mention our little corner of Kensington? On the day we moved in, the unofficial "mayor" of our street happened to walk by while I was out front getting groceries from the trunk. She introduced us to several neighbors, who invited us into their homes in just the nick of time. Within 6 weeks, everything shut down, but at least by then we'd met a handful of families we could see outside and know we were not alone in the world.
BOTTOM LINE
There are times when I think of Nashville/Franklin in all of its manicured, Southern glory, full of friends and family I miss dearly, and my heart squeezes in my chest. If we're passing a Cracker Barrel or see "Nashville Hot Chicken" on a menu, we absolutely get it out of principle. It has been essential to our happiness here that I was 100% confident in God's call to move. Without that, there could have been all kinds of 2nd-guessing. With that, I have appreciated our new locale under...unusual circumstances. But those are for another post. #adventuresinapandemic #comingsoon
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