18 hour day.

After a four hour nap, we were up at 2 am to continue our journey – our longest day of the trip, Hattiesburg Mississippi to Virginia Beach, Virginia. The weather continues to be gorgeous and we’re hoping to have left the snowstorms behind us permanently. Hopefully Jersey won’t have other plans. We are sad to leave the South but we leave with some sweet new bracelets (rubber bands shaped like animals – all the rage in the Mississippi elementary school system), fond memories of fried food, dollar stores and people asking Krista if she’s engaged because she wears a ring on her finger and the explanation of “hey it’s the south – I have to ask!” So far it only 4 pm and we have crossed Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and are in North Carolina creeping our way towards the Virginia border, in an increasingly messy car and in increasingly ridiculous outfits.

With the arrival of Virginia Beach also came the reunion of Caley with her two friends Elsy and Gianna, and Ruth with her cousin Michael. Our hotel proved to be a little less sanitary than desired, but it’s all an adventure we reminded ourselves as we drained the inches of standing water we found in the shower. Krista, Caley, Elsy and Gianna went off to find some food, fighting off packs of high school boys left and right. We then returned to the room and kept it classy - a few hours of reality television and some red wine in a Styrofoam cup – not Gianna though, she was too little. Maybe after you graduate kiddo.

Following the path of adventure Ruth and Maggie meet up with Ruth’s cousin Michael along with his fellow navy-ians. We were treated to margaritas and were shown the “jersey shore weather report”- a hilarious dance that Maggie is determined to bring over to the west cost. We then ventured to some navy persons apartment where he and his German girlfriend hosted half the bar. A dinner over sautéed shrimp, pizza bread and many shot guns later the adults had to finally admit they were no longer in college and could not keep up with us youngins. Ruth and Maggie FINALLY got to bed, only to be awoken 4 hours later. Man I love being youthful and resilient.