My family and I jokingly call our new home in Virginia as Vacationland. It's completely accurate!
As a kid, we always traveled on vacation to historical places and Williamsburg, Virginia was a stop we made at least once every few years. At that age, I absolutely loathed it and couldn't wait to go back to the hotel and swim in the pool. Don't get me wrong, we also went to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, but almost always, on every trip, we had to visit some sort of historical place.
In Florida, we had to go the Kennedy Space Center. In Maryland, we had to check out Fort McHenry. You'd think South Carolina didn't have a historical place, but we found one at Fort Sumter. Visiting Hersheypark was not complete without a stop at Gettysburg on the way home. Boston just wasn't for the aquarium, but of course the Freedom Trail and the Paul Revere House.
When we first moved to Virginia, we were living in a rental house in the community of Smithfield. I was used to living in the middle of nowhere when I grew up in Long Valley but Smithfield was really the middle of nowhere. Whenever I'd go out for the day, I had to make sure all my chores were done before I even thought about venturing home.
But now there is Williamsburg.
Being the massive history nerd I am, I couldn't imagine living in a place that is cooler than Williamsburg. From the colonial era to the very first settlers who landed here, there is always something new to see. Plus, who doesn't love having a theme park within 15 minutes driving distance?
Colonial Williamsburg is a place you simply just have to visit. I cannot put into words what it's like, but I'm going to try. Think about strolling through cobblestone streets where horse drawn carriages make their way past you. You smell something delicious cooking over an open fire. The sound of the fifes and drums and musket shots are all around you. You touch hundred year old weaponry as you tour the armory. It's literally stepping back in time as you meander through Duke of Gloucester Street.
Family photos at Colonial Williamsburg
My family and I have a tradition that takes place about every nine years. We always take the same photo in the same location. Pictured above, you'll see a very young Megan as we took in the sights of Colonial Williamsburg on our first vacation to the area. We followed that photo up in the summer of 2010 on a return trip to the area. The third photo is the most recent, taken in October of 2019.
While there are of course downsides to living in vacationland (tourism traffic mostly), I love that on any given quiet work day, I can take a small drive and end up hundreds of years back in time. Where else can you go on a moments notice and have dinner in an actual colonial era tavern? When the gym gets to be too much, I'm often found on the walking paths of Jamestown and Yorktown.
I'll be the first one to tell you that I did not want to move away from New Jersey. It was all I had known for my entire life. I spent my younger years growing up in Essex County, before moving to Morris County. I'd spent countless Saturday's cheering on the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers University. All of my friends were in the area. How could I leave?
Well Virginia has easily become home. Before we moved, my mom told me, "we may not be taking the house, but we're taking all the memories." Truer words have never been spoken. While I miss Long Valley greatly, the memories of my Jersey days are always in my mind and in my heart. Driving away from 228 Naughright for the last time was the saddest day of my life.
Duke of Gloucester Street, Colonial Williamsburg
Smithfield, Virginia, albeit small, was my first stop on my new life in Virginia. My family moved into a rental house and although my stuff was there, it never truly felt like ours. Each day, I felt like we were living in some scene from a movie. The house was ours physically with stuff, but it didn't have the memories of a Thanksgiving table filled with laughter, or the familiar click of the baseboard radiator when the winter nights got too cold. However, Smithfield was important because the important people were there: Mom, Keith, Daniel, me, Sabrina, Jet, Oliver and Ranger.
While I miss my family and friends, Williamsburg has become home once again. We hosted our first Memorial Day barbecue with family from out of state, we're eagerly planning Thanksgiving and I know that Christmas will be magical again. Cheers to you Williamsburg, thanks for being my home.
Signing off,
Comments