By: Justine Underhill

Editor’s Note: Underhill was elected to the F.C. City Council earlier this month.

The morning after the election I felt a mix of excitement, awe, and exhaustion– it’s been an extraordinary journey over the past few months. My campaign for City Council in Falls Church turned into something beyond policy and politics; it became a story of deep personal development, community connections and friendships, and profound learning.

There are very few people who can say they’ve personally visited over half of the houses in our city. For those of you curious as to what it’s like, here are some lessons I learned:

• Buy a better pair of walking shoes with good arch support– your knees will thank you later.
• Start door-knocking earlier (I was so busy that I mostly waited until the last 2-3 weeks of the campaign).
• Expect to pet a lot of dogs– perhaps a necessary prerequisite of getting support in this city.
• Ask for help, a lesson that became crystal clear after I labeled 350 water bottles solo.

The number one piece of advice I got before I started campaigning was to keep discussions at doors to 1-2 minutes each. Well, I couldn’t do that. I took my time, and while it meant that I met far fewer people in the city, developing these deeper relationships just felt right.

So here are a few highlights of a slice of life in Falls Church:

• A 9/11 first responder told me about his role in the Secret Service’s investigation.
• A father of three adult sons told me about how excited he was to see the Taylor Swift movie.
• I learned about a loved one who passed away, and the kind neighbor who helped plant a tree in her honor.
• I chased after and caught a cat who escaped from someone’s house.
• There was a kind woman who cut some dahlias for me.
• The biggest smiles at the door were from the people in the apartments at Winter Hill.
• One person wanted those residing in our affordable housing communities to know they’re welcome here, and offered free translation services.
• Someone came up with a very inventive, self-made system to prevent basement flooding (he watched a bunch of Youtube videos).
• Another person showed me a miniature reenactment of a ceremony in India at the turn of the century (if my memory serves me, it was the Delhi Durbar).
• I met a teacher who was helping fellow renters register to vote.
• A mother told me about trying to help her son find a job.
• I met someone who wants neighbors to know they can leave their leaves on the lawn!
• There were dancers, artists and people who were clearly artists, but wouldn’t call themselves such, like the person who made a giant Bob Ross TV frame for a community party.

So many people who contribute to our community’s vibrancy opened the door for me. And my commitment is that my door (or inbox) will be open to you too. I want to work with you, and continue this journey with the same spirit of community and collaboration that got us here.

Let’s keep the conversation going and the ideas flowing.