The majority of my childhood has more memories in Suffolk, VA. Suffolk is a small, country city in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. If you still don’t know where that is, Suffolk is also about 20 minutes away from Virginia Beach, it is also the home of peanuts if that’s any indication. Growing up, we didn’t have much to do other than adventure around outside, due to all of the corn or sunflower fields and awesome parks Suffolk has. Whenever we were bored we’d go for walks and just enjoy nature. Coming to college in the city, which is something that I’ve always loved and wanted for myself, I have felt so out of touch with nature and missed the joy and simplicity of just being outside with the serenity it brings. Recently, I’ve fallen in love with nature all over again because a group of friends and I took a mini trip and went camping for a weekend.
We found a campsite in Meherrin, VA, about 20 minutes from Longwood University, set up and enjoyed the beautiful scenery and luckily, the beautiful weather that weekend had in store. The campsite was set right near a lake and giant open fields for us to run around in. We ate nothing but hot dogs and s’mores for two nights, survived off of the gallons of water we brought and the simplicity of it all made my heart so happy. I felt like a kid again, playing pick up games of soccer outside, playing board games in one of the giant tents we had, nervously dipping our toes in the muddy water and rowing around in a small rowboat that came with the site. It felt good to slow down, to really take in what beauty the world has even if it’s not a far trip. It was nice to focus on the company I was with, with limited technology usage, it was a good detox from ultra consuming social media. Once the trip was done, we decided to treat ourselves to a meal that was not just hot dogs, we drove into Farmville and had lunch at a locally recommended restaurant The Fishin’ Pig. The Fishin’ Pig was a super quaint, southern style restaurant with homey feeling decorations and that super small town feel, that I definitely do miss a lot of the times.
Photo taken by Aja Moore, edited by VSCO preset
In light of this short trip, I think it is necessary for us to slow down and really take in the little things we enjoy about life. As young adults with busy lives and goals that we are trying to reach, it’s hard for us to tell ourselves that we need a break in the midst of our most stressful times. Whether you are a lover of nature, or strictly a city person, you need to retreat and take some time for yourself. For me, this trip was a reminder of home, a reminder of simplicity in my life, and a great way to re-center myself and refresh my mindset.
Photo taken by Ben Causey
Photo Credits: Cover Photo and 2 by Ben Causey, 1 by Aja Moore