plenty to be thankful for...MY HOMETOWN!

i should start off by saying that i'm a former navy brat {read: i don't really have a hometown}.

i was fortunate that - while growing up - the navy moved my family only a handful of times. i switched schools twice. yes, two times. 

i currently live in the same city the navy moved my family to back in 1986. so, i think it's safe to say that virginia beach is home. after all, i've been here since i was eight years old {minus the three years i lived in northern virginia} ...

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i have a love-hate relationship with my area. why? i'm not really sure. i think part of me is yearning for a new adventure in a new place, but another part of me just can't bring myself to leave. my husband is a local. he was born {in his uncle's bed at his grandparent's house near pembroke mall...for the 757ers who read my blog} & raised here. his family is here. his life - both good and bad - is here. 

virginia beach may be the largest independent city in virginia, but it's a very, very, very small world, too. trust me.

but, i digress...

virginia beach.

where else can you find a mix of urban, suburban & rural living? it's true...we don't have a true downtown area, but we're trying. sort of.

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i love that i can go from the hustle and bustle of interstate traffic to a scene like this all within a thirty minute drive {the drive is even shorter if i'm leaving from my home}...

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my city's highest elevation is a hill that used to be a pile of trash. true story.

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i live in a city {well, an area} that thrives on tourism. i guess it helps that the atlantic ocean & the chesapeake bay are two of my area's "backyards."

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another amazing fact about my area? we love jet noise! {well, except for some poppy heads who just don't seem to appreciate the sound of freedom.} the military is everywhere in my area. i live within five minutes of two naval bases. 

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there's a lot to see & a  lot to do in virginia beach. the area is steeped in history. we are a relatively young city, too. and, we're one of many cities that makes up the greater hampton roads area. so, as much as i might lament about wanting to move away, i am definitely thankful for all that i have to see, do & discover right in my own backyard.