Within 24 hours of being in the city, Townes noticed there were starlings nesting in a gutter he could see from our back alley. Guy has found bugs and flowers in the cracks of the sidewalk. Bess has drawn floorplans of our van project and backyard garden space. Sam keeps asking what state we live in. They all made an RV park with their Legos. And, reliably, we have still found fireflies to chase.

We are in between.

They say they miss nature. We miss space, freedom to roam, new wild places to explore, our pace. But we see hope in neighbors, friends, a place to go deep and explore all nooks and crannies, the relief from some logistics, the opportunity for routine. Hikes are becoming long walks through the city. Education through exploration still abounds. We still love small spaces. We have a family culture that dictates how we operate.

Here are some snapshots of our time in D.C. thus far.

• Active kids taking their wheels to the sidewalk
• City wildlife
• Local splash pad
• Smithsonian Zoo
• Becoming walkers, city bikers, and metro riders
• Our Lego RV park
• Frequenting the library and playgrounds where we can read our new books
• National Museum of the American Indian
• Library of Congress
• Our alley
• Nationals baseball game
• National Museum of African American History and Culture
• National Archives
• Sculpture Garden
• National Mall
• Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens