One day, Richard and I were discussing where we'd each like to travel to. We both thought that traveling back to the Eastern Shore of Virginia would be a great trip. Going "home" can be dishearting
Then Richard surprised me with that trip in July of 2006. We were in Tampa and caught an afternoon flight to Virginia. We stayed in Virginia Beach that night, then traveled across the bay bridge tunnel whose toll is now $12, and up the Eastern Shore. We found the new LDS chapel in Onley and realized again, that you can't go home. We knew only a few of the members, as it's grown considerably, and those few did not remember us, although they courteously said they did. It's the South.
We drove out to our home on Plantation Road and found it abandoned, although the Riley's are still there. They've been watching over it since we left . . .since 1870 or so, actually. They occupy the family plot on "our" land. It was sad, but brought closure to the longing of wanting to return or relive those times. Tuck those memories away and treasure them. You can't go back.
Then to our beach~Assateague Island. It's where we spent the magical summers while we lived in Virginia. It's a barrier island and a state park. There are wild ponies, a lighthouse, 100's of migratory birds, but no stores, no boardwalks, no picnic tables. Pure beach. We loved it. A cooler full of beach food, umbrella, chairs, towels and boogie boards-just the necessities.
Time has changed even the beach. No dunes. A hurricane had taken them out a few years earlier. But the sand, the leftover sandcastles, the sound of the waves were still there. We went for a Monday morning sunrise, got back in the rental car and drove back down the shore, out to our home and bid it a fond good-bye. Stopped at Marsh Jewelers for a Chesapeake Bay bracelet (an Onancock custom) and headed back across the $12 bridge.
It was an enchanting, serene visit to what was at one time "Home". The best part of it was that we were together to enjoy the trip. Home for me is where my family is-Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Montana, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Washington, Missouri and maybe Portugal.
