Virginia Beach

My trip to the east coast last weekend went very well, and I've been able to check off another destination on my "places to visit" list. I went out there for my good friend Adam's wedding. We've been friends for about ten years now, since the beginning of high school, and he's like a brother to me, and it was so weird seeing him grown up!, with his own house!, and getting married! His wife, Diane, is adorable, and I really like her. I am just so happy for him.

So, I flew out on an 11:30pm (pacific) flight Wednesday night, had a connecting flight in Chicago, then made it to Norfolk, Virginia at 8:30am (eastern). I was able to only get the head-bobbing in-and-out kind of sleep, which wasn't terrible, but not enjoyable either. This was my first trip having to rent a car and drive around by myself, which I was a bit nervous about, but it turned out well. The freeway and streets were easy to navigate, and the area became familiar fairly quickly. I had a Doubletree hotel room all to myself, which was very fun--especially being able to sprawl out on the king sized bed.
Thursday, I met with Andrea & Kayla and did some errands with them. We then had lunch down by the boardwalk and hung out at the beach for a few hours. It was beautiful out, and a perfect day to be spending on the beach. I dipped my toes in the Atlantic Ocean for the very first time, and although it's no different from the Pacific, it was still exciting. The one difference I noticed from the beaches at home is the color of the sand, which has a much yellower tint to it. Thursday night, the two families got together for dinner, and I joined them, at a great restaurant called Hot Tuna.
Friday morning, Adam cooked breakfast at his (beautiful) house, and I took Kayla to the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center after we ate. It was a cute place, and Kayla had a lot of fun. After that, we went back down to the beach for a few hours, and that night was the rehearsal (which I didn't go to, since I wasn't in the wedding), and the rehearsal dinner (which I did go to.) It was at another excellent restaurant, called La Marinella.
Saturday was the wedding day. Diane is greek, and the ceremony was at a Greek Orthodox church. It was interesting and very different from the traditional ceremonies we're all used to seeing. The reception was at the Hilton down at the beach, and it was all very beautiful.
Sunday, I had to fly out at 10am, and when I woke up, was regretting all the wine I drank at the reception. I made it to the airport safely, though, flew to Atlanta for my connection, and then got home in the early evening.
And that, in summary, was my trip. The one thing that I wish I could've done was visit the Shedd Aquarium and Georgia Aquarium while I was in the two stopover cities. Oh well, guess I'll just have to do a little more traveling...

Pictures coming soon, keep an eye on the photoblog.