Hometown love

Hello blogging world! To whoever is reading this, thank you for your interest in my blog.

I decided to mark my entry into the world of blogging with a post about my hometowns. I’ve been feeling really homesick lately and I think this will make me feel better. Plus, my hometowns are really cool!

Notice that I wrote hometowns instead of hometown. Yep, that’s right, I was born in a hospital overlapping two towns. Or the real story is that I spent most of my childhood in Hampton, Virginia, but moved to live with my dad in Yorktown when i was fifteen. My mom still lives in Hampton and I spend time in both places. For that reason, I still consider both places my home.

But I haven’t been home since May! It’s not because I’m trying to avoid anyone or anything there (except maybe certain people from high school). I just have been trying to establish myself up here in Fairfax, Virginia, the home of the wonderful George Mason University, where I am a junior studying journalism. Isn’t being a grown-up hard?

Yep. That’s me getting my study on.

All spring, I searched for an internship up here in the D.C. metropolitan area, hoping to wet my feet and get some professional experience. All spring, I was unsuccessful. I stayed up here, working a variety of part-time  jobs, still holding onto hope of a journalism internship. Spring turned into summer and summer turned into the school year. And I have yet to visit home.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this little glimpse into what was my life in southeastern Virginia.

1) Hampton, Virginia 

To someone not from the area, Hampton may seem like nothing special, but as I grew up here, it will always hold a special place in my heart. I’ve always liked walking along the waterfront, visiting Buckroe Beach, and spending time with my family at the Air and Space Museum.

1) Hampton, Virginia

 To someone not from the area, Hampton may seem like nothing special, but as I grew up here, it will always hold a special place in my heart. I’ve always liked walking along the waterfront, visiting Buckroe Beach, and spending time with my family at the Air and Space Museum. 

This is one of my favorite spots in Hampton-the lighthouse at Buckroe Beach.

2) Yorktown, Virginia

Yorktown does have some really nice spots though. The battlefield is definitely worth visiting. It’s informative and there are a lot of historical houses nearby. Down the street is Yorktown Beach and Yorktown Victory Center, something history buffs will love.

Pretty, huh? This is the view at Yorktown beach, a favorite spot for many in the area.

Another favorite area of mine close to my hometown is Colonial Williamsburg. I’m obsessed with history, so I always love visiting Williamsburg and walking around. There are a lot of little shops and restaurants that are worth trying. Also, a candy store with chocolate covered candy covered apples. Need I say more?

As my tastes and interests have grown over the years, there’s a lot of things I want to explore in my hometowns as I mature. For instance, there’s the Chrysler Museum of Art in nearby Norfolk that I have always been interested in visiting. I thought last year when I visited home that I had seen and tried everything there is to try, and that my only hope was to continue searching in my current location of D.C., but I’m sure there are even more restaurants and beautiful places to see in my hometown.

Trevor playing baseball.

Hannah getting ready for a spelling bee.

I hope I’ve inspired you to reminisce on what you love about your hometown. What do you find yourself missing most as you grow older? I know what I miss: my golf-loving dad who is always up for talking about sports, politics, and math; my mom who just loves to relax at the beach and watch reality t.v.; my loving stepmom who geuinely cares about people; and my younger siblings, Alyssa, Hannah, and Trevor, who I hope know I care about them very much.

Until next time! Go read a book, take a walk, get informed, and live!

Janelle