The Beach

Eileen and I went on a little road trip last week to Virginia Beach and Raleigh, NC. We both needed some R&R and decided to combine a beach trip with our trek to yet another DMB concert. So, we packed our swimsuits and a lot of snacks and set off. We were excited to be heading into Sonic country (I hate it that Sonic advertises here, even though the closest Sonic is 3 hours away!). We stopped for lunch and I got a cherry limeade (the best drink EVER). We arrived at the Courtyard by Marriott (gotta love that associate discount!) and then headed out to get pedicures. We had dinner and vegged out in the hotel room. Day #2 started out with yet another visit to Sonic for more beverages and then we hit the beach. It was VERY windy (sand was everywhere) and chilly because of the partly cloudy skies. But, we were troopers and stuck it out for a couple of hours, then we switched to the pool. We caught part of the Steeler game and then got ready for dinner. We found a GREAT pizza place and then went back to the hotel. Day #3 was CLOUDY. Only about 10 minutes of sun all day. And it was way too cold to enjoy the beach or pool (though the ocean was the warmest place to be outside). We put on sweatshirts and took a walk through town. Of course, we stopped at Sonic again for drink #3! We took it easy again and just enjoyed listening to the ocean. Why is it that whenever I'm at the beach, I start to feel really nostalgic and wish I lived at the beach? What about it makes me want to quit my job and move into a small apartment with a view of the water? I could be a waitress or something like that and have a nice, simple life, no car payment, no worlkdly distractions and just enjoy falling asleep to the sound of the ocean every night? I love living in the city, but I really want to live by the ocean, it's the most calming place in the world for me. Day #4 we decided to get up early and head to Raleigh (after stopping at Sonic of course!). There were no clouds there and the temp was warm! We got there in time to spend a few hours at the hotel pool soaking up the sun. SO nice. Then we got ready for the concert. We enjoyed our short time in NC, people are so nice there! The concert venue was smaller than Starlake and our seats were decent. Not too many tall people in front of me! However, the girl next to me was a dud. During the AMAZING concert full of fun, upbeat songs, she just stood there. Why go to a DMB concert if you're not going to sing along?!? So annoying. But Eileen and I had a blast as usual and we glad we made the trek. We got up on Day #5 and drove back to D.C. (one last Sonic stop!). It was a fun road trip and a great way to spend a long weekend! We love DMB and can't wait until the tour next summer to do it all again!