So I’m sitting on the doorstep of my Washington DC AirBnB, waiting for my Lyft ride back to the Newseum, and a man coming out of the house two doors down sees me taking this photo of the front of the house.

The front of the home I stayed insuring my trip to Washington DC.

He tells me about an amateur photographer named Helen Betts who has a photo of this row of houses, which is called Philadelphia Row because of the architectural style. He leaves and I Google it. Here’s what I found.

Of course, this proves two things:

• Sometimes it’s actually quite enlightening to talk to strangers.
• When you travel alone, it’s easier to meet new people and learn new things.