I like flying. I meant being on an airplane. Long air travels are tiring but there are things you can get from it that you won't get from road or sea travels, or short flights.
When your destination is half the world away, you might have the chance to see the sun and the moon in one trip. If you are luckier, you get to experience it twice - to and from your destination. Flying gives you a chance to see the endless sky, massive bodies of water and vast lands while you listen to your playlist. Indeed, flying and music go along together.
Last September, I was given an opportunity to travel to Virginia for a business project. It meant a great deal to me because it was a task that I am very passionate about and it was my first time to travel to the US. I was STOKED!
The sight of the US, from above, reminded me of the board game I used to play with my brothers when we were younger - The Millionaires Game. There were vast lands, cars parked in almost the same direction, houses that look alike, pools and very visible roads. Where's the banker?
I flew to Richmond via Nagoya, JPN and Detroit MI. I fell for Virginia the moment I saw it from above because of its very green color. It was relaxing to the eye and gives you a warm and cool feeling at the same time. Friends have asked me if I got a list of places I plan to go to when I reach VA. As a matter of fact, I do. I wanted to go to Richmond SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). In addition, I wanted to visit The Pentagon and the FBI HQ - J. Edgar Hoover Building (which are in Washington DC, a few hours drive from VA).
I stayed in Hyatt House-Richmond West (formerly Hotel Sierra) beside Short Pump Mall and very near other upscale establishments and eating places.
Short Pump Mall became my go-to place for quick meals, running routines very early in the morning, fresh air, and, believe it or not, some quiet. In our malls in my side of the world, malls are a little bit crowded and noisy. For the first time, I was able to just sit down, read and enjoy the peace in a mall.
I can talk about a hundred things about this trip but am not sure if I can put them all here without taking too much space. I'll just concentrate on a few highlights.
Food
You may find my food adventures on a separate entry from here.
Richmond SPCA
Yes. I got a chance to drop Richmond SPCA a visit. A good friend, who also works for our client, made sure I get to tick this off my list before I leave. Such a privilege!
The facilities were amazing - fully air-conditioned, ample parking space, very good odor management, plenty of room to move around and play with shelter animals and a lot of available educational must-reads. How I wish our local shelters can get enough support they need to turn it this way. If I had enough time, I would have signed up for a day or two of volunteer work. I hope I get to come back.
New Friendships
I met a lot of new people during my visit and I have enjoyed even the short conversations I had with all of them. But what stood up the most is meeting Andrea. Andrea is a trainer from a competitor site but there is nothing in her that would suggest that there is competition between us. She is a sweet girl and I loved every moment that I was with her. We would talk about a lot of things - our lives, a little bit of our love stories, her son, Alex, work and most of all, how God has worked and continue to work in our lives. We'd go out and try new things together; almost got ourselves in trouble walking the busy West Broad Street. Am not sure how many pedestrian rules we broke. Ha! We hopped into each other's hotel too to try the swimming pools. We went shopping together, talked and talked and talked. I miss her. We still email each other. I really hope I get to visit Costa Rica soon and that she gets to visit my country too.
Southern Hospitality
This trip was for a business project but for the most part , it didn't feel like work. Blame it on the very warm hospitality of the people who have done everything they can to make me feel at home.
Catching Up
I am not sure if I will still get a chance to come back so I did find time to see old friends and former colleagues who played very important roles in shaping who I am now. Some I got to have photos with, some I didn't. It was nice to reconnect.
Mornings
You can say I am being highly sentimental, but the best thing I had in VA was each morning I got to enjoy. I am already used to working at night and even to aggressive changes in schedules. But I always look forward to come across those rare chances of waking up in the morning, enjoying the coffee on a cold breeze before getting ready to work. It makes me feel normal and the day, easy. Sometimes, I just get tired of spending my morning wasted and tired from work. I got to experience a day job again.
There were mornings when I would wake up way earlier than when I will be picked up from the hotel so I could get to run, spend an hour to enjoy my breakfast, watch the news or read the newspaper, and catch the sun; all these while listening to one song.
My best friend left one of his favorite songs on repeat on my Ipod. I listened to it first while waiting for my first plane out. I opted not to change it the whole trip. It was a warm song that is full of hope. I can use a lot of it while away from home.
When traveling, I do two things to remember it in the future, wear the same perfume or listen to one song. Now, even if I may never had a chance to travel back to Virginia again, as long as I listen to that song, I can always go back to that Virginia morning feeling, Sooner or Later. It would feel like I never left.
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