Adjusting to a More Intentional Life

I cannot believe it has been 74 days since I posted! If you have visited my site in the past and come back, thank you!!!

As mentioned in my last post, I recently moved back to Washington, D.C.. The past 3 months have been wonderful but I’ve been getting my ‘sea legs’. Figuring out simple daily things (like household services, banking, utilities, and local amenities) and adjusting to life in a much smaller space have meant developing new routines.

One new routine is that I now have to make time to walk the dog rather than allowing him free reign of a fenced yard with a dog door. That means that at least 5 times each day we get suited up, ride the elevator downstairs and decide on a direction. This has been such fun for me because not only do I get to spend dedicated time with my favorite living thing, I get to explore and walk. Walking is my absolute favorite thing to do and one of the main reasons I wanted to move (back) to a city. The new routine has been all about figuring out how to keep my dog happy and exercised while maintaining project momentum during work hours. I am happy to say, mission accomplished.

Another new routine I’ve had to figure out is how to cook in a teensy kitchen. I’ve never made elaborate meals beyond holiday meals when cooking for others but I’ve enjoyed making simple healthy fare for myself. In my new place, the space is perfect. I have room for my cherished travel mementos and art, a dedicated office, library space, and a bedroom that accommodates my glorious king-sized bed. The one space that is lacking is kitchen space. This does not detract from the charm of my city dwelling, it just presents challenges when cooking. In fact, I just started eating real food that I made for myself as of March 5th. Until then, I was either getting delivery (eek!) or making dinner of a piece of fruit and handful of almonds. Now, I have my severely scaled back kitchenware (pots/pans, appliances, dinnerware) and a set of my favorite meals that don’t require more than 2 pots at a time. I miss my George Foreman grill for making tofu and my Breville for juices, but the trade off is my spectacular view and daily sense of joy, so I’d say I’ll survive.

I never thought I’d write this, but thankfully I have no travel on the horizon. I have a few houseguests coming in soon, but nothing that takes me out of town. This is thrilling because so much has changed since I lived here before I have more than enough to satisfy my travel needs. Besides my old favorites of the National Gallery, Air and Space Museum, and the Arboretum I can check out new places like the new-ish (Sept 2016) African American Museum of History and Culture and the Hillwood Estate. In fact, there is so much to see and do here, I’ll be a #backyardtourist all Spring and Summer!

That noted, since I am mostly settled into the new routines I have time to devote to my blog and I appreciate you coming back to visit. I have several posts drafted including reviews of some new travel wardrobe items, gadgets, hotels, and attractions. I also have a ton of photos to share from my year end travels. All that and plenty of local photos. For now, I will leave you with this quote from Henry Miller and a few photos of Springtime in/near Georgetown.