DSC_0001
Elise, Third Grader

Here we are, back where we started. Many folks have asked us, “Didn’t you find any places during your year that you would love to live?” The implication, of course, is, “Why did you move back to DC, for the love of Mike!” We found lots of places we enjoyed: Southwest Harbor, ME (not in winter), Charleston, SC (not in hurricane season), San Antonio, TX (not in summer), Tucson, AZ (same), San Diego, CA (as expensive as DC more or less, plus fires, cataclysms), Portland, OR (little too not sunny), Ashland, OR (not a lotta jobs), Estes Park, CO (tourist destination more than town). We liked all of these places for many different reasons, but we learned that the Washington area — despite its terrible traffic and high cost of living — has many things going for it: the four seasons (not the hotel), three hours to the beach, two hours to the mountains, the Smithsonian (among numerous other cultural landmarks), good schools, lots of jobs (I only need one of them though), and most importantly family and friends.

Elise started school on Tuesday, so the rhythms of suburban life have begun. We have a contract on a house that is walking distance to Elise’s school and Danine’s parents. It’s a five-minute drive to church and the grocery store, ten minutes to everything else you can think of. I like routine and I’m looking forward to settling into one. Our trip will act as a filter for life here, encouraging us to slow down and live relatively simply. We’re still trying to sell the Airstream, but I can picture us owning another some day. That’s about it for now.