Goodbye, Virginia

Landed a few hours ago in Athens, OH at the house of my dear friend, Ellee. She's finishing up a paper for one of her classes, so I thought I'd take the moment to post a few photos from the day.

Though it would have been about an hour and a half faster to just drive straight to Ohio on i64, I decided to take a little detour and say one last goodbye to the place I called home for 4 years, Harrisonburg, VA.

Best decision ever.

First stop, the JMU campus.


To pick up one of these..


(If I'm gonna drive across the country, my car should be wearing a little purple, yeah?)

And to say goodbye to this guy...


Oh Jimmy, how I'll miss you this football season.

Of course, no trip to H-burg would be complete without a stop at Klines..


But I couldn't eat dessert without eating lunch first!


(Yes, I photographed my sandwich. No, the thought did not occur to me until I'd had three (large) bites and about half my fried pickle. And yes, I took a picture anyway. )

One barbecue sandwich and a chocolate peanut butter milkshake later, I hit the scenic route.


I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry when I crossed the Virginia state line, just 30 miles west of Harrisonburg on Route 33. These hills have felt more like home than any place I've ever lived. I'll miss watching their leaves light up this fall, will miss drives like this to pumpkin patches and farmer's markets, to campsites and swimming holes. I'll miss the way these hills turn blue under the cover of clouds and the way my heart jumps when amber rays of sunlight pour down on them in those last perfect moments of the afternoon. Hell, I'll even miss the smell of cow manure that wafts over these hills after a hard rain.

I had a friend at JMU who was a songwriter. We all used to joke that he was that guy at parties who would pull out his guitar to pick up chicks (though he adamantly denied this). After college, our friendship fizzled (I think it was because I was one of those chicks who fell for him and his guitar-- though it kills me to admit that) and we lost touch, but there is one song of his that will forever fill me with nostalgia for my college years and the beauty of this valley. Rather than bother you with a second song today, I'll just leave you with a few lyrics.

You have my favorite memories.
Locked within your hills.
And I miss you so.
Shenandoah.
Calling me home.