Back from Summer Holiday
Against the advice of every social coach out there, Krista and Ayrielle took a small hiatus for the summer. We were both enrolled in summer classes that were sucking the life out of us, trying to navigate what the new normal would look like in our day jobs, and frankly…needed to get the fuck out of Indiana. So we went on a “mini” road trip to Virginia Beach.
To be frank, the first leg to Virginia was actually a flight. And I just got to say….some of you all have not gone through a TSA line in a long ass time. It seems like most of your forgot how to go through that process. Shout out to the white lady in Philly that freaked out that they did a last call for her so she thought she could go around the security line! She is very fortunate to be got caught by a member of TSA that had high levels of emotional intelligence. Hope you are doing well, but that is an easy way to never fly again.
When we landed in Virginia, we were picked up in luxury which Krista was doing her very best not to ruin. It was a hustle from Indy to Norfolk that her body was screaming at her to take a moment and stop. All that hustle though was to get to the starting position of the mini road trip. Literally – we were taken to a Mini Coup. We took the Mini to a quiet section of a public beach with literally the softest sand at high tide. Saw a crab and decided we needed to eat some crab so we headed back into Norfolk to Saltine [Link1].
It was an experience, to say the least. We made reservations which was much needed given how lively downtown was. Not sure if it was tourists just out living their best-vaxxed life or what, but without the reservation, it could have been a multi-hour wait. Good job Ayrielle on having that hospitality foresight. While the streets were a public intoxication, loud car fest, Saltine was chic and airy with a mixture of old-world detailing and modern elegance. Krista got scallops and Ayrielle dove in for the Virginia blue crab cakes. Phenomenal. We could only imagine what it would have looked like if we had visited it during the lunch hour when the summer light is shown in and there was less street noise. Next time.
After dinner, Krista took Ayrielle and the Mini on a long drive out to Lexington, VA. It was a dark ride but we could feel our ears pop and our bellies’ swash as we went up and down the Appalachians. At some point Krista lost proper hearing in an ear -- from between the flight to the mountains, it just didn’t want to adjust any longer. Past midnight, we arrived at Col Alto [Link2]. This was a historical Gregorian brick home that would be purchased and ran as a Hampton Inn. When we awoke the next day we really understood the gravitas of its Italian namesake – for it sat at the peak of a valley and oversaw a beautiful rolling landscape. It wasn’t very far from Stonewall Jackson’s House or Washington and Lee University. As we were on a tight schedule to get back to Indianapolis, we didn’t explore much of the grounds or Lexington. Very disappointed that we couldn’t try Pronto’s [Link3] as they were closed for vacation and it appeared to be the only café in town that had a serious espresso machine. Everyone else looked a little drippy.
We waned and waxed through the curvy Virginia back highways to West Virginia. Overlooked the vast valleys of coal and steel industry. Talked to a memaw about death, and talked about a friend’s stubby fingers. Got caught in a storm somewhere in Ohio, and as the sun started to shine once again we were back in Indiana. It was the kind of trip we needed to feel rejuvenated to come back to the Bad Good Friends, graduate school, and the day jobs. Stay tuned for regular Friday postings…
[Link1] Home - Saltine Norfolk