With December comes a rush of holiday markets, Christmas music and city lights in Washington, DC. As a house, my roommates and I have also realized that this month comes with its fair share of busy calendars and hectic work days. These full days come as an even larger load for me, as I have spent the past four years attending college in the city. While balancing various communities of friends and loved ones, the intentional part of our LVC community has pulled me into finding small joys at home.

The consistency of roommates at home has been exciting, challenging, and stressful at times, but I was able to reflect on my house last week as I realized, perhaps for the first time, that I was genuinely excited to go home after a very long day and just chat with my roommates, my friends, at home. With only a few months of knowing each other, I count it a blessing to be able to say that I live with people who work hard to make a living space open and affirming, and they do it well.

While all of our schedules have filled up this month, the intentionality in prioritizing decorating the Christmas tree, baking cookies with community mentors and setting aside a “House Christmas” with lots of baking, has brought me a lot of joy. I look forward to seeing how this kind of care, intentionality, and love is translated to the people we touch on a daily basis.

Alexis Faubel
Washington, DC
Dag House 2018 (Follow them on Instagram – wholetthedagsout)