Firsts...

I don't think I would have ever pictured myself having to travel 175 miles to a beach. Wow has life changed! When a few of the girls suggested going to the beach this week while the guys were out on yet another FEX, I thought it would be a great way to spend the day. Us wives are always looking for fun ways to help pass the days until our husbands come home from the field. The girl who suggested the drive, said it wasn't very far ... only about 2 hours. Okay, that's far in my book....but for most of the girls here, that's the closest they have ever lived to the beach. I decided to go anyway. Jordan and I are in the mindset that wherever we live during this military adventure, we are going to embrace the opportunities fully to see and do as much as possible. SO....even though the beach was 2 hours away, Virginia Beach was a box that needed to be checked off!

Not only have I never traveled 175 miles for a day at the beach, I have also never had to set my alarm clock for 545 to get up, to get ready for the beach! We didn't leave until 8am, but I had to make sure I ran the dog since I would be leaving him all day, and get some groceries for our cooler. Yes, I think packing a cooler for the beach is a new one for me too.  I know most people do, but with the beach so close at home, we'd rarely stay for long enough to require packing a cooler. Well anyway, come to find out the beach was not "about 2 hours" away (which I had optimistically hoped would mean only 1.5-2 hrs), but a full 3 hours! We were all so excited to get out of that cramped car when we finally arrived, and make the most of our destination.

Virginia Beach turned out to be a nice, flat beach with decent waves for frolicking. My favorite part about the beach was laying in the sand and watching the F-18s fly over us all day from the nearby air station. (At least I THINK they were F-18s. I am sure Jordan's adorable little relative Breton could actually be able to tell me for certain, and he is only, I believe, 3.5!) I couldn't help but smile and think, that will be Jordan before we know it! I am such an emotional person, that my eyes get teared up with pride, picturing him up there.

I spent the good part of my time at the beach trying desperately to take a picture to send to him. I knew it would be so motivating for Jordan, and help him see past the misery of TBS and onto flight school! I wanted so badly to capture the moment and the experience for him, with a great, artistic shot of the F18 soaring towards us over the ocean. However, my picture taking skills failed my artistic vision miserably at capturing what a motivating image I had in my head. Who knew it would be so dang difficult and frustrating! Every picture I took, I either missed the planes completely or they looked like small black specs. Before I knew it, it had become a challenge. All of the girls were trying to capture a picture for me to send Jordan! Couldn't the pilots just slow down for one second!!!! Sheesh. I think this is the best one among the efforts of 5 of us, and unfortunately there is no sand or ocean to be found:

After about 3 hours in the sun, one of the girls suggested we leave to miss rush hour traffic. What? Seriously? It's only been 3 hours! The drive here was longer than we spent at the beach. I had pictured going to the beach, doing some shopping and exploring, and then maybe stopping in at a restaurant, and they were ready to leave???  A few of us secretly texted our disappointment back and forth, as we smiled and agreeably said "okay....whatever works!" Oh well. I guess I had to find perspective on the situation again, and realize for most of the girls, driving 3 hours to the beach was again, not very far relative to their own experiences.

Well leaving at 2pm did not spare us from hitting rush hour traffic. It took us 4 long hours to get home! We were all exhausted, feeling sticky and grimy from the salt-water, cramped, and so hungry that we started becoming deliriously giddy. I remember experiencing that same sensation when I would  be studying for hours and hours with friends....you actually do begin to lose your mind, and everything becomes hysterically funny! Well needless to say, the 4 hours were definitely filled with a ton of laughs! And of course when driving through Virginia, there are always, shall we say, interesting sights along the way.... Here is just one that kept us laughing along the drive:

No this is not how we carpooled to Virginia Beach, this is actually a focus towing another focus. Definitely another first for me! I think I may actually have to devote a  future post to pictures of  interesting, red-neck Virginia. I tend to find myself taking lots of pictures of strange things here.

In the end, although I was disappointed that we did not experience more of the area, at least I got to put my check in that box next to Virginia Beach. Thank goodness for good company and fun girls! Who would have thought sitting in the middle of a small back seat, in bumper to bumper traffic could be so much fun?