Former rural American here. As others have said, you’re going to be approached by randos. Just don’t respond, and keep on walking. They won’t be agitated with you.

Understand that people won’t greet you when you pass them by on the street. It isn’t because they’re rude, but they’re usually just very busy and don’t have idle time. It’s totally normal to pass people and not even make eye contact.

It’s actually pretty easy to find things in common with people who live or work here. People are generally polite and you should also understand that there are some pretty rural people who commute here for work, so you don’t always see the same city type folks.

DC has a ton of green space and trees, and I’ve never felt like I need to escape.

Take advantage of the walkability and public transit here. Rural America is very car dependent, and it’s so liberating to be somewhere with multiple modes of transport.

Good luck and enjoy the experience.