Stitched: Productive, Seductive, Virginia

Holli and I are from the West coast. Holli made up a word just now, "Westcoasties," I know people, she's a poet. Although we are westcoasties, I have this fondness of Virginia that seems to intensify the longer we live here. One thing I love about Virginia is how diverse it's beauty is. Our mini-vacation to the beach was a perfect example of this. Our travels took us on a scenic tour through what I think are the three main regions of Virginia. So here they are:

THE CITY

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Our weekend trip started off with a dinner at our friends Dolly and Shane's house in DC. ( I know DC is not considered Virginia...whatever). They are currently living in Georgetown for the summer. I have grown to love DC the more I have gotten away from the touristy areas. Don't get me wrong, if you haven't seen the monuments or the Smithsonian, they are a must, but I have found DC has so much more to offer. One thing I loved about this trip was the view from the roof of their apartment. It was almost a 360 degree view of the city. It was really stunning! Charly and I had a moment as I pointed out the visible landmarks to her. DC is rich with history, architecture, art, museums, food, and plenty of things to do. It kind of has a certain charm to it, that you just can't find anywhere else.

THE BEACH

The main point of our trip was to go to the beach. We met up with some of our closest college friends. There is something rejuvenating and relaxing about the beach. Growing up in California the beach has always been something that I have loved. I love how the Atlantic ocean is so warm, it's always a pleasant surprise. Sorry Pacific ocean, you're just kind of cold. I never liked Virginia Beach because it is so commercial. It makes it harder to relax when you are surrounded by hotels, condos, and thousands of people. This time we found a more secluded spot with a lot less people. Knowing there are less commercial spots at Virginia Beach makes me want to visit more and more. It was really fun to see Charly's reaction to the sand and the water.

RURAL VIRGINIA

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On our way back from the beach, the GPS took us a really funky way. By the time we realized what was happening, it was too late. At first we were really mad, but in my mind our drive back kind of made our trip complete. As we wound through rural Virginia, it was like we stepped back in time. We followed behind a couple of classic cars and didn't really mind that we were going 5 under the speed limit. We just enjoyed the tree lined roads littered with old farms and rundown shacks. We laughed as we saw signs for things like, "Bubbas Chickin and Wangs", "Bakery, Antiques, and Doll Repair", and "Jammin for Jesus". We lived in rural Virginia for almost 6 years. Our drive made me miss things like fireflies, everyone waving at you, people sitting on their porch, and the slow pace of life.

This trip made me love Virginia and I'm very happy to now consider myself a Virginianite (I can make up words too Holli). However my favorite thing I saw this trip was this: