Having gushed over New York City before, it always surprises me when I get back into D.C. and think only of how much I’d love to call the District my home. Returning this time was different than before—maps were clearer, long distances were shorter, the commute was less laborious. The personal initiative it takes to live in a city and the energy at the end of each stride forward—that’s what I crave. In the city I feel natural, everflowing, free.