Minisode, Virginia Stories to Tell Around the Campfire.

Joseph and I love to make each other laugh. When we shared a room, we would annoy our mom (Jen), by keeping each other up giggling over goofy antics into the morning. She’s the most productive at night, and I’m sure she was ready to have some alone time. She’s deeply imaginative and creative, she is spunky and outspoken, a proud black sheep, the 7th of 8.

Coming to Virginia as a mom with a blended family, leaving the massive family 300+ miles behind was tough on her. People who say New Yorkers are rough around the edges and difficult to talk to, didn’t grow up in Virginia Beach. We came to live in Chesapeake before Joe was born, the most noteworthy aspect of Chesapeake is that it is both remote and wholly isolating. Then“Spruceknob Dog House”, as I remember it was our first house at the beach.

When we finally settled into the Lynnhaven area, the closest high school at the time was known as gang run. As Joe says, Virginia Beach is redneck Miami. This saying is especially true of the 757 in the 90’s. Florida is the home for the most outlandish news headlines and 20+ years ago, Virginia was a strong contender for the title. The entirety of Virginia at that point was unfortunately trapped in a mess of crime, conspiracies, people who were suffering from mental illness (and more often than not displaced veterans-STILL AN ISSUE TODAY), rampant drug use and the dirty cops who brought it to the streets. We built our little homestead and grew jalapeños beside an enormous rhododendron, we kept to ourselves but we’re otherwise nice- most of our neighbors didn’t like us and the ones that did died (old age) or moved away. We became the 3 musketeers while dad was always working. Virginia taught us resilience and to dare to dream. Everyday people can be hilarious, and talented, gifted, born to lead, and above all a well stream of Jack of all Trade types. Never underestimate a Virginian. ✌🏽