On embassy housing, my D.C. favorites and a new crop of diplomats
Detailing recent life in Washington while we await our first diplomatic posting abroad
“One’s destination is never a place but a new way of seeing things.”
- Henry Miller
Personal Update
Over the weekend, Andrew and I visited The Wharf and Union Market again, two of my favorite places in D.C. What I’ve always appreciated about this city is that–for all its flaws–it’s one of the most European-feeling cities in America. The Wharf, with its lovely tree-lined promenade along the sparkling Potomac, is fully pedestrianized and has more bars and restaurants than you could possibly hope to visit. Even U.S. Senator Joe Manchin calls The Wharf home. He’s lived at the dock in his houseboat “Almost Heaven” since at least 2014.
Then there’s Union Market and its smorgasbord of ethnic cuisine. You can eat Korean barbecue tacos, a curried Indian dosa, and a spicy Argentinian empanada, then wash it all down with a Taiwanese boba tea all in one sitting. Union Market is full of global cuisine and I love it.
Other Happenings
The embassy in Bucharest has requested our housing preferences. We’re still undecided if we’d rather live a little further out of the city but have nicer furnishings and more space, or live more central in the heart of the action with less space. The embassy doesn’t provide any guarantees, but they keep your preferences in mind when assigning housing. Let me know if you have any thoughts!
The next batch of U.S. diplomats started their orientation last week and let me tell you–I do not envy them! Going through the early stages of that process and the uncertainty that came along with it was hell. Not knowing what country you’re going to live in for the next 2+ years is tough. I’ve also seen their bid list of possible first postings and… let’s just say I’m even more grateful for the options we had! Good luck to them though! It isn’t easy. My Instagram has a full highlight detailing what that experience was like for us if you’re curious.
What I’m Watching
We watched the first episode of Our Living World, narrated by Cate Blanchett, which explores the intersection of the natural and manmade worlds. The documentary shows striking examples, like rhinos in Nepal forced to walk through a modern village to get to the best grazing land.
We also started watching Unlocked: A Jail Experiment that follows prisoners in Little Rock, Arkansas as they adapt to newly-instituted European-style rules for lockup intended to promote rehabilitation and reduce violence. Prisoners are given more free time and access to phones to stay in touch with loved ones. I found this read about the differences between US and European prisons interesting.
In Case You Missed It
Last week on Substack, I reflected on big life transitions and various methods of coping. Feel free to give that a read if you didn’t catch it:
From the Blog
I’ve been missing our neighborhood in South London a great deal recently. It’s fun to reflect back on life in West Dulwich through my blog post from October, which features a roundup of my favorite places in the area. Check it out if you have some time!
That’s all for now.
Cheers,
Michelle