Federal Way is not a city I was supposed to like.

I moved here via Phoenix a couple years ago, my wife and I having agreed to relocate with a widower friend whose son, my godson, we’d help with. The journalist in me had already researched Federal Way through data and phone calls to Washington locals, and it sounded like any other bedroom community in exurb-pining America.

It looked sterile. Safe. Short on excitement and wanting for the culture of Seattle or Tacoma. We planned to move to a “real city” as soon as possible. Then, much to our collective surprise, “as soon as possible” came and went and we found ourselves still here.

And we were happy about it.

I blame my godson. He’s 9 and, as 9-year-olds so effortlessly do, had made a lot of friends at Lakeland Elementary. I had also made friends, connected with neighbors, and begun to see the intricacies of my supposed-to-be-temporary waystation: the happy harmony of blue-collar workers and high-tech Seattle refugees; the mix of long-established families and recent Washington transplants; the close electoral partisan split; the low-key tenor that looks dull from without and pleasant from within.

I took the 9-year-old and his growing roster of pals to Wild Waves and Trampoline Nation, attended political functions at Steel Lake Park, got ironically serious about my bowling prowess at Secoma Lanes (and wondered sarcastically if their cash-only business model meant they were a front for organized crime), and took part in the communal giddiness of Seahawks fandom at RAM and Time Out Ale House even if I never quite got into football (I’m an NBA fan; when we first crossed into Washington on our move I instinctively and deeply started resenting Oklahoma City).

And, quietly, the city began to feel like home. This home, as all homes do, needs to be watched for foundational cracks and remodeling projects that can explode in price or fail altogether, which are duties that have been expertly tended to by Mirror reporters Raechel Dawson and Terrence Hill. It’s a great privilege to work for you by working with them.

Which brings me to the final sign that I might just stay in Federal Way: I am, as might be apparent, the new editor of the city’s premier source for local news. I’d like to think my years spent as a journalist, managing editor, political consultant, and writer got me the interview, while my passion for relevant stories, evocative prose, and hyperlocal coverage got me the job. I’d also like to think the same attributes will keep the Mirror a resource that my fellow Federal Wayans can use and enjoy.

Toward that effort, I’d love to hear from you; from anyone in the community who wants to share their thoughts on the city, the Mirror, the issues we face, or the pretenders in Oklahoma City. The responsibility of overseeing the only truly local newspaper in a city of 90,000 is not one I take lightly, and I’m anxious to read your suggestions, complaints, and tips.

In the meantime, Federal Way, thank you for welcoming me, and thank you for being a home I never knew I desperately wanted.