Reclining around their large, oak wood table after dinner, they bounce jokes off one another and lean back with boisterous laughter, occasionally jumping up to write a particularly funny line on the quote board, before suddenly shifting into a somber conversation about workday frustrations or tough lessons from life in the city. I had the pleasure to witness this dynamic group of LVCers when I sat down with the Bonhoeffer Burrow over the weekend for a quick interview. We talked food, art, transit struggles, hangout spots, and more. Keep reading to catch the highlights.

So let’s start with the name. I understand it has to do with your house. But who is Bonhoeffer, and what’s this Burrow?

One of the best parts about our new house is how cozy it feels, even though it has three stories and lots of rooms. Someone from the third floor can lean over the banister and chat with someone on the bottom floor, and if I say something in my room, it carries through the vents like an intercom. It makes us feel like we’re living in the Weasley’s burrow from Harry Potter! LVC calls it the Bonhoeffer House, after Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor and theologian who spoke out against the Nazi regime in WWII. Now that we’re friends, you can call us the “Bon Burrow.”

How do you most like spending time together in DC?

Pizza on the rooftop! We went to a local pizza restaurant and got the world’s best basil pizza (it was too expensive to add the good Mozzarella, so we had to settle for a makeshift Margarita). We brought it back to the house and had it on the rooftop overlooking the city. Our scheduled community nights are fun, but I really love the spontaneous moments together (especially when they happen on the roof!).

Best part about living in a house with eight people?

Lots of perspectives, and lots of people who can cook. We all have different things to contribute, both in terms of conversation and life skills. People know how to do different things and make tasty stuff.

Tell me more about the food.

I really enjoy having all sorts of fresh fruit and vegetables. It’s not something my family does at home, so it’s great to have the option for fresh fruit and vegetables to cook with on a daily basis. It makes me happy! We get them mostly at Save-A-Lot, but also Olivia’s coworker is a part of a community garden. We’ve been surprised that we can find it so cheap!

I hear DC has tons of great art. I know you’ve been getting around the city a lot—what’s the best art you’ve encountered so far?

There’s a really good Hopper at the Portrait Gallery, it’s called “People in the sun.” I think it’s really cool. Hopper has dense, saturated colors. You can really see how the people are experiencing the sun. I love the sun, and I love how it conveys that feeling. My runner up would be the movie Eighth Grade.

Where do you want to explore next?

It’s been so hot lately, and now it’s raining nonstop. I’m excited to look at more of the sites when it finally cools down and is nice enough to go out. I look forward to seeing all the monuments and getting to experience all the free stuff DC has to offer.

You must be learning a lot by living in a new city. What is the coolest thing you’ve learned since moving here?

Because of traffic, stop lights, and speed limits, I can get places faster by bike. We live a mile and a half from where we play volleyball. I biked along the the same bus for most of the ride there, and in the end, I beat it there! I’m not an incredible cyclist at all, and I beat a bus.

This all sounds awesome. But what’s the most ridiculous thing that’s happened to you since moving here?

I fell on the bus. I fell on the bus, and no one helped me. You see, it was the first rogue bus driver I encountered (the first, but there’s been a few). I was trying to be nice and let this lady off the bus, but before I could put my hand on the pole, he just gunned it. I fell backwards. On my head. And on my pride…