VA is for Lovers??

Just got back from my trip to Virginia....it was GREAT. However, the 14+ hours spent in the car driving up there...not so great. It actually went by alot faster than I thought it would, and the drive was worth it to be able to have our car with us once we got to Virginia Beach. Now, first of all...I couldn't ever and still can't figure out why "Virginia is for Lovers." There was nothing extra-loving about the State or the people, and it's not like there are 24-hr. wedding joints all over the place, or even really nice honeymoon resorts or anything. Weird. Moving on. I did, however "fall in love" I guess you could say, with Virginia Beach for several reasons:

1. I LOVED the Law School. Regent's campus was beautiful...it looked like something out of a history book...the buildings were all brick and had huge white columns with manicured lawns and flower beds all over campus (kinda like State since Doc's arrival, actually). Everyone I met at the school was super friendly and helpful..once again, I felt like I was still in Mississippi...at State. I sat in on a Contracts class, and I learned more in that one class than I think I learned in a whole semester of Business Law in undergrad. SO much information...but it was actually really interesting. (If you need to know anything about entering into an independent or dependent agreement with another party, just ask me....next year.) All of the buildings are super nice and clean inside, and there are little hidden study spots all over campus, which will be great for all the studying i am going to be learning how to do next year!! One major difference between State's campus and Regent's....Regent still has DAFFODILS everywhere!! Being one of my favorite flowers(tied for first with tulips), this was definitely a good sign.

2. I found a Church! Not just any church either....It's a HILLSONG church!! The Church is called "The Wave" Church, and the pastor is from Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia...complete with a THICK aussie accent and all! The worship was AMAZING, of course. (I imagine this church to be a mini-version of what Margaret is at in Sydney?) It was exactly the kind of atmosphere I was looking for, and we even found some old friends RANDOMLY the morning we went to church there that used to go to New Covenant in Starkville (during their undergrad at MSU), which was totally a God-thing. (We call those meetings "divine appointments" in our family) They told me that they were really involved in the young-adult ministry at The Wave, and that there was a HUGE group of 18-30 year olds in the area that were in the church. potential new friends...SCORE.

3. It's on the BEACH! I was slightly disappointed to see not-s0-bluish green water on the East Coast like there is in Mexico or even Destin, which I have been used to my whole life, but nonetheless....it's the OCEAN, and who can complain about living near the Ocean!? I do especially like one thing about the East Coast that the gulf doesn't have, and that is the Boardwalks right on the beach. There are wooden walkways that line the beach (right off the sand) that you can walk, run, or bike down as far as you can see. I am pretty pumped about being able to ride my bike or take a jog down the beach without acutally having to be in the sand the whole time...and although it wasn't very busy while we were there (due to the FREEZING weather), I heard that in the summer, the beach has a really eclectic feel to it and there are people all over the place shopping, eating, walking around, etc. That's my kind of beach. I can't wait.

It's "Big", but not too big. I have always lived in Starkville, MS...population SMALL. (esp. in the summer when school is out), so I have wanted to move to a bigGER city after graduation. BUT...I am beyond horrible with directions, maps, etc. and I know that living in a big city could be disastrous for me in that aspect. HOWEVER, Virginia Beach just may solve all of my problems. I don't really know what to compare the size to, but maybe like the size of Jackson, MS? There are a LOT of people that live in VB, but for some reason, it doesn't feel THAT big. There are several different areas of the city and they are all pretty spread out so maybe that is why it doesn't feel too big. More lanes for driving than I am used to, but I can get over that. Another good thing is that the apartment (which is LEGIT) I found to live in is right on the campus of Regent, so at least for a little while when I first move, I won't have to stray TOO far from my new comfort zone!

I am so excited about the changes I am about to make, especially since this will really be the first time I will have moved away from Starkville, which has always been HOME. I am nervous about making friends and adjusting to a new school and a new city, but I know that God will be with me and will direct me towards encouraging people, just like he has done over and over for me in the past. I am so grateful for a good visit this weekend to the school and the area, because it was confirmation to me that God really has called me to Regent for school and he has a big plan for my life that includes my living in VB for at least 3 years. That's right..I officially ENROLLED while I was there! I can't wait...and I will definitely try to keep everyone updated via my blog about life in law school!

More Pics from the Trip:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2109912&l=14d51&id=26501294