Dear World,

I love the familiar smell of our favorite Indian restaurant and the various front-yard gardens that are now in full bloom.

︎

My fiancée Sianna and I live in a basement-level studio apartment in Washington, D.C. It only has one window, which we keep permanently covered for privacy. Since social distancing guidelines were put in place and our schools moved to online classes, the only sunlight we get to see is when we go out for our evening walks. These walks have become the highlight of my days.

The sunlight and fresh air are a welcome relief from sitting inside and staring at a screen, which is how we spend most of our time now. We’ve gotten to know our neighborhood a lot better, too. I love the familiar smell of our favorite Indian restaurant and the various front-yard gardens that are now in full bloom. Just beyond our apartment building are quieter residential streets full of gorgeous homes—classic D.C. rowhouses, sleek modern condominiums, and everything in between.

As we walk, we’ve taken to pointing out the features we like of each one. The color, the front porch, the window that would be perfect for our cat to sit in. I tend to like the older homes, set back from the road behind fences and flowers. Sianna leans toward the newer buildings with wide balconies and floor-length windows. On our last walk, we passed a gorgeous slate-blue house with crisp white trim at the top of a steep hill. We both agreed—that would be the color of our first house. It’s nice to have something to look forward to.


Sincerely,

That’ll Be The Color of our First House