Virginia Visit Strengthens Familial Bond

I don’t remember everything from when I was younger, but I recall the core memories. One of them happens to be visiting my family in Virginia. Every time my parents said we were going, I was filled with joy. I always packed my bag ahead of time, so I did not forget anything. I find that hilarious because that is one of the only times I don’t wait until the last minute to do something. When it was finally time to leave, I made sure I packed a lot of snacks for the road trip. My cousins resided in Alexandria, Virginia. It is around a four-hour drive, so I was prepared. During the road trip, I opened a lunch to-go tuna salad kit. I swear that this meal never fails to bless my tongue every time; they’re just so good. Since I was younger, I would easily fall asleep in the car. So after about an hour of playing Mario Kart on my Nintendo 3DS, I was knocked out. 

When we got there, I was awakened by my sister. I was upset because she woke me up in the most unpleasant way possible. She slapped the senses out of me. She was just a typical older sibling I guess. I can remember looking out the window after that. The houses in the area looked so cool. They were all big and were different colors like macaroons. When I stepped out of the car, I felt the change of scenery. Maybe it’s just me, but whenever I am in a new area the air feels different. I felt a different type of vibe, and I was very excited. 

I walked up to the door and the first person to greet me was my Uncle Prince. He loved me a lot and vice versa as we somewhat shared the same name. I’m still not sure whether his actual name is Prince or if it is a nickname. Regardless, my middle name has Prince in it as well, so we shared the same connection through our names. After greeting him, I went upstairs to go see my cousins and aunt. I saw my Aunt Mudopeh and gave her the biggest hug. After that, I went to see my cousin Assie. She was in her room doing college work online . Quick side note: it’s crazy how when I was young, college seemed so far away, now I’m actually in it. This said cousin is now 33 years old. Moments like that make me realize how fast time flies. After I greeted all three, I ran into my other cousins’ room. My cousins Walton and Vivian were my favorite because they were teenagers at the time. They were so hyped to see me and I can understand why. They were a year apart, but basically the same. They did not have a younger brother and I did not have an older brother. We saw each other as siblings so they loved me, and I loved them. 

I was able to play video games with them, go out to the park with them and just enjoy the company of my family. The entire stay was just me being a kid and having fun. The best part of the trip was when all the adults left to go to an all-day event. As 18 and 19-year-old teenagers what did my cousins Walton and Vivian do? They threw a party. I helped them set up the entire area, even the ping-pong table. They went with my sister to get more items for the party. My sister was a year younger than them, so they were closer in age to her as opposed to me. When they left, I decided to go play video games and eat chips. After they came back, they eventually went up into their room to get ready for the party, and people started to flock into the house. I waited until it was really loud to finally go downstairs. Once down there, I was in shock. There were so many pretty girls. My cousins grabbed me and started introducing me to all of them. They were all saying how cute I am and took turns passing me around. They were pinching my cheeks and continued to compliment me. I just kept a subtle smile the entire time. I also got to hang out with the older kids, and they made me feel so welcomed. It was a moment I won’t ever forget. It’s sad how I’ll never get to experience moments like that again, as the family is split up and we all got older. I’m glad I got to experience it though. Those were just the days, man.