Virginia is for Lovers
It’s already 82 degrees as we’re driving down the parkway Saturday morning. My right ear hurts with a possible ear infection and I wonder if I made a mistake of not going to the doctor (again). My head is heavy with all that’s occurring in the country we call home. This isn’t the way it was supposed to be. These aren’t the words I was supposed to write. But in many ways, my life has always been this way. Accomplishments, celebrations, even new beginnings laced with chaos, hurt, and self destruction. But this time it’s different. For those of you who don’t know us personally, none of this makes sense. And I teeter totter on how much I long to share/explain. But I think it’s meant for another time.
We arrive at a farm in Rihnent, Virginia and are greeted by a tan, older woman named Emily. She’s wearing a pink cloth face mask and I can’t help but stare at her striking white hair and physique. She’s from New Mexico but moved here 9 months ago to live with her daughter, Kate, who moved from Vermont. The farm has 6 horses - a mix of event horses and rescues, one retired from racing. They’re friendly and beautiful but the black one in the second stall is absolutely stunning. After getting adjusted and scoping out where we’ll park the van, we head to Shenandoah National Park and decide to drive the bottom half of Skyline Drive. It’s surrounded by woods and the Blue Ridge Mountains so the drive itself is amazing. Around 6:30 PM, we notice the sky beginning to change and I wonder why so early since sunset isn’t until 8:30 PM. It’s around 8 when the golden light begins to pour among the trees so we decide to stay put at Crimora Lake Overlook and watch the sun go down. Off to our left, the mountains remind us of our time in Hawaii while the valley’s painted entirely gold. We’re in awe of the beauty and make sure to embrace it. It’s after 9 and the colors still show, but we’re tired so we head home.
For the first time, I actually sleep and awaken with an appreciation for my surroundings. Jason begins cooking eggs with avocado and cheese on our camp stove outside while I decide to use our outdoor shower. The water is cold since we didn’t leave it in the sun but after a few minutes, it’s refreshing and I’m happy. I get dressed, brush my hair, and smile as I say out loud, “this is amazing”. We eat our eggs, drink our tea, and coffee, pack up, and head to the park again. This time we drive from the top to the middle and although each overlook is more beautiful than the next, we’re honestly tired and a bit cranky from constantly getting in and out of the van. As the day comes to an end, we’re disappointed by the last overlooks. While most reveal mountain ranges and the valley below, the ones toward the end are less so. We leave before sunset and end up having our first fight on the road. But it doesn’t last long since we know what’s on each other’s minds.
The next morning, I’m tired from lack of sleep but we head to the park one last time to take in the views and film some video on our GoPro. We head to Luray Caverns and laugh about the tackiness of the outside. It looks like some crappy hotel but the caves are what matter and luckily, they don’t disappoint. We spend the tour amazed by nature and fascinated by it’s test of time. As we get ready to leave, I strip off my jeans and throw on my yellow dress. Jason and I share some granola bars, make our way towards the highway, and laugh about something as we head towards Asheville, North Carolina.
On the Road with Nadine
After 3 months, 60 days and 400+ hours of work, trials and errors, fights with each other, traumas with everyone else, living and reaching a breaking point with my in-laws, and a global pandemic, the van is complete. We’re consumed with emotions of relief, stress, nervousness, excitement, and sadness. And whether we’re ready or not, we’re about to begin the adventure of a lifetime.
The van is a 2019 Ford Transit we bought all in for $26,000. It’s a 150, medium roof, and has some cosmetic damage on the outside that people think we caused with the build. But other than that, the van’s in incredible condition and only has 12,000 miles. Plus it looks absolutely beautiful with all the hard work we did.
The van’s main feature are the custom cabinets Jason and his Dad built. Not only did they continue the grain pattern, but the cabinets are made of ash from trees cut down on the property. In fact, all the wood is from the family’s property. Our countertop has a live edge, and along with the doors under the bed, are made of oak while our mountain doors are made from cherry, pear, and ipe (although tropical, it’s left over from the deck so it counts). Our sink and refrigerator are black while our faucet is copper, which adds a nice contrast. The walls are painted white and the subway tile in the kitchen is peel and stick but looks real to us. My Mother-in-law and I made the vinyl seat cushions for the two benches and I built the attached plant box. I also painted the blue mountains and trees for the back panels. And although we love it all, our favorite part is the 3 buffalo my Mother-in-law painted for our side door.
We discuss a name often but nothing seems to stick. “Little Yellow” for the surprise zip tie we found attached to the wiper? “Freedom Rose” for the bird my Mother-in-law and I saved? Something about Jersey, maybe? After many ideas and none that appear to hold meaning, we eventually come to the conclusion to name her after the person that made this dream possible. Jason’s Nana, Nadine. Nadine may be the most incredible human I know. At 92, her intelligence outweighs anyone I’ve ever met and her compassion is something I strive for. I remind myself often how lucky I am to still have 3 living grandparents and to have her in my life as well. Without her, Jason and I would be in a very different position. It’s something we make sure to never forget.
So as we pull away from the place we’ve called home from the months March through May, we’re on the road with Nadine.
