The business trip to DC that almost wasn’t

Good evening, folks!

It’s Angel, and I’m writing from my Washington, D.C., office. I had hoped that conditions would allow me to come down yesterday, but I couldn’t leave until this morning. And, sadly, I had hoped to stay until Monday, leaving around noon, but a 9 a.m. doctor’s appointment on Monday may call my visit short.

But even a few hours in D.C. will recharge my batteries and allow me some focus and relaxation. It’s a wonderful feeling to edit in a familiar but fresh environment, and it’s almost like being off the grid and allows me to work relatively undisturbed with lots of coffee at my disposal.

If you know me, or if you visit some of my travel stories (or if you went to college with me), you may know my companion, M. I’m here hoping to inspire him to write a piece for the upcoming identity anthology. (If you want a peak of our adventures… here is an essay from our trip to Tunisia, my first excursion into Africa.)

I have already edited the essay by our art director, Gayle Hendricks, discussing growing up as a steel worker’s daughter in Southside Bethlehem and the impressions it made upon her, and how it impacted her values. (To learn more about Gayle, check our staff page or you might enjoy Gayle discussing developing our logos.) Next, I plan to move to Rachel Thompson‘s essay on coming out queer (to her Catholic family) as an adult who had played it straight for decades.

I also have notes from our newest Parisian Phoenix author, Maryann Stephanie Ignatz. Maryann, now 75-years-old, took the time to hand-write an essay about her experiences in Phillipsburg, N.J., as the heir to the family business, Steve’s Cafe. Steve’s Cafe (a tap room) has been in her family for 100 years, through four generations, and offers ice-cooled beer so when the power goes out, you can still have a cold drink.

But, luckily, my good friends here fed me first so I gobbled up a very spicy chicken sandwich with honey butter. With homemade coleslaw. It’s been almost 8 hours and I’m still full.