Our baby Virginia

I noticed that I make an average of four blogs in a month. This is my 4th one this October so before we head off to the west coast I'm posting it now.

Yesserie! We're moving out to California next week. I was thrilled to know that we are going to a warmer climate with lots of Filipino communities. Poms got his new job and we're leaving Virginia, a place where we first settled as newly-weds, our first home in the east coast.

I have to admit I'm gonna miss this state so much. Relatives, friends, the low cost of living, and oh boy the trees! I have never been so fascinated with how green and well-groomed the trees are in the highways. Let me share with you what we have done for the past four months in this very historical state, Virginia. As their motto goes, "Virginia is for lovers."


Meet Virginia

Virginia is located in the Buckingham County 5 miles SW of Buckingham with about 430 miles long and 200 miles wide. Virginia is bordered by Kentucky, West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington DC (District of Columbia). Richmond stands as the capital of this 10th most populous state in the US (as of year 2000). It's known for its state symbol, the Cardinal. The Cardinals are easily-spotted red birds that are strongly territorial and make a long whistling song.

New home away from home

It was the start of summer season when I got here. The temperature is rising and I can feel the heat burn my skin. The highways here look all the same so if it's your first time to drive in VA better remember the names of the highways such as I-95 (Interstate 95) equivalent to our EDSA in Manila. There will be more sign boards along the highway so it's not really easy to get lost. The people are friendly but if you're out to look for a Filipino community here, I don't think you can find one as huge as the ones in California but you can easily spot a fellow Filipino somewhere.


Party up the mountains

July 4th is one of the major holidays in the US. It's where the Americans celebrate their Independence Day through an amazing show of fireworks display. Amyli, Poms's cousin and her family invited us to join them overnight in Shenandoah Valley.

It took us about two hours to get to our destination. They said it's prettier when visited in Autumn because the leaves of the trees are yellow orange and they are standing on both sides of the road. I have waited for this moment to come but looks like we wouldn't be here in VA for long.

The word Shenandoah was derived from a Native American expression for "Beautiful daughter of the Stars." There are so much to see around Shenandoah Valley that we haven't been yet. I hope we can find time to visit the perfect scenery of Shenandoah. Would you like to join us?


Not for Gephyrophobiacs

If you are suffering from fear of crossing bridges then this is definitely not for you. Chesapeake Bay Tunnel is one of the seven engineering wonders of the modern world. Crossing over and under open waters where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean this bridge-tunnel provides a direct link between Southern Virginia and the Delmarva Peninsula that's Delaware plus the Eastern shore. This 23 mile-long (37 km) bridge is a combination of bridges and tunnels over and under four separate shipping channels.

If we were only given more time to go around VA, I would surely ask Poms to visit that place again.


1607-2007

We were fortunate to witness the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, VA. More than a dozen years ago, the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts. A trio of English ships sailed on to James River and made temporary camp on a marshy island. The succeeding events started the history of Pocahontas and Capt. John Smith.

There were many visitors when we went to the site. People who dressed up in old English American clothing stood as interpreters at Jamestown settlement to demonstrate the daily life of English colonists in 1607. You should see the relics they have preserved as they do not look so bad at all. And by the way, Jamestown is not only the birthplace of America, it is where the best wines are made.



Bonding in the Park

Williamsburg, VA one of the Historical Triangles of Virginia along with Jamestown and Yorktown has it's own history to tell. This city who has a prestigious historical past said to lead the American revolution dozens of years ago is also a perfect place for family bonding.

We went to Busch Gardens, an amusement park with thrilling roller coaster rides and neat 3D and 4D shows. Every part of the park is designed with spectacular themes named after different European countries. We were lucky to be there because they just opened some new exciting rides like Griffon. This one was the bravest ride in my life. Its height is equivalent to a 25-story building that vertically drops you off upon reaching its peak. We had real good time with Christel, Poms's cousin and her fiance Joe. They said the park temporarily closes down during winter so spring and summer are the seasons when the park is bearably full.

After 2 weeks we went to another amusement and bigger park called Paramount's Kings Dominion. This time we went with Mimi, Maui, and Casper. The kids had fun especially the boys because they went to the "Water World". It's like a beach inside the park where adults and children chill out. Mimi and I just enjoyed ourselves with the thrilling rides. There's this ride called "Drop Zone". It's where you are being carried up for I don't know how high but sure it was really high as we were able to see the whole park above. Then it suddenly drops you off after 10 seconds like you've been kicked-out of the plane. That was one hell of a ride too. The last one we had made my back ache and gave me a slight fever that night ha ha! But over-all, it was totally fun fun fun.


When you visit these parks, make sure to be there at exactly 10am because the line is unbelievably long after lunch time. Believe me, you don't want to take lunch while falling in line.


1950 Calendar, anyone?

Petersburg is approximately 23 miles away from Richmond. The port of Petersburg was a commercial center for processing and transporting cotton, tobacco, and metal good. As transportation technology evolved, Petersburg became an important railroad center.

When we went there with Auntie Aida and Daphne, it felt like we were in a time zone traveling in a 17th century neighborhood. I could not believe it. The people there are experts in maintaining and preserving the blocks that reminds the history of the city. There were antique shops everywhere selling old furnitures, clothes, accessories, and even old calendars.


Ride the waves

In order to have the best ocean view, reserve at least a year before summer hits Virginia Beach. Need I say more? It's best known as a resort with miles of beaches and hundreds of hotels, motels, and restaurants around it. We went crabbing at the pier just after the crabbing season ended. The shore is immensely huge but the sands were not as fine and as white than the ones in Boracay, Philippines.

Every morning, the dolphins can be seen in not far away maneuvering and swimming together under the rising sun.

Outlet stores

Would you believe that the same set of pajamas I bought at Macy's are the same as the ones I saw at Potomac Mills only it's 75% cheaper? I go crazy. But Potomac Mills in Woodbridge, VA has the best outlet stores ever! I have no idea if these stores still earn a living but these prices are unbelievably cheap and they're always on sale. It's a place where you want to be always after pay day because everything seemed to be a give-away.

Another premium outlet to watch out for is the Leesburg Corner Premium Outlet in Leesburg, VA. It is where we bought tons of Lins chocolate for 10 cents each. What a price. And they taste really good and fresh too. Summer tops have gone down to $2.00-$4.00 each. That's still 90% cheaper against the summer sale of tops in the malls.

I have lots to cherish here in Virginia. Four months was not too bad. It's hard to say goodbye to Auntie Aida and her family who took care of us and provided us a shelter while we waited for this opportunity. I will surely gonna miss Daphne and her Nintendo Wii :D. Poms learned a lot from Uncle Danny's Do-It-Yourself house tools. Uncle Eli was also very helpful during our challenging endeavors. But we're all gonna see them anyway. We will still be spending Christmas in Virginia because it's an annual family event. As I leave this state where I learned to live, I am likewise relieved by transferring to a place where my homesickness will subside that is meeting and seeing lots of fellow Filipinos around. Well, major changes, people, places, lifestyle, food, are just some of the good things that I'm looking forward to.

Getting ready to pack...