Happy Friday! I didn't mean to take a week off from blog posts, but I ended up being busier than I thought this past week while traveling. My mantra with blogging for the past couple of years especially has really been to keep it to something that's fun, and that means trying to stop pressuring myself to get posts written during very busy times. Easier said than done, but I'm glad I did allow myself a little impromptu break for the past week!
I'm just getting back to Charlottesville after three consecutive weekends away. The last month that I spent three weekends out of town was February 2020... right before everything shut down! I had a feeling that it would be fun to get back to this type of back-to-back busy weekend schedule, but I had no idea just how much I would really need it. While I do enjoy time at home to recharge on occasion, I love being on the go and I feel my best and most motivated self when I have places to frequently be and explore. Staying home for almost the entirety of the past year was so monotonous to me!
I had my second dose of the vaccine in early May, and spent the first weekend of the month in bed with bad side effects. But I then had three weekends in a row out of town to look forward to! Here's where I've been lately:
Richmond, VA: My friend Sierra is getting married tomorrow in California! None of our friend group from Charlottesville was able to make it out there this weekend for the wedding, but we got to celebrate Sierra at a little bachelorette weekend in Richmond. This was actually the first overnight bachelorette trip I've ever been on! (I'd been to two bachelorette parties before, but both were just one night affairs of dinner and drinks with no travel involved.) We stayed and dined at Richmond's Quirk Hotel. The day after the bachelorette, Sierra's future mother-in-law threw her a bridal shower that was also in Richmond. A lovely weekend all around- wedding festivities make me so happy!
I updated my Richmond Travel Guide blog post to include details about staying at the Quirk Hotel!
My light pink dress {not online, similar here} // My nude heels // My green gingham dress
I am hoping to write an Edenton/Inner Banks Travel Guide at some point! But I thought I'd wait until I'd visited my aunt and uncle another time or two so I can explore more and get to know the area a little better. Hopefully I can do that later this year!
Kennebunk, ME: My first visit home in almost 10 months! I didn't go home for the holidays last year with the COVID cases being so high at the time. It was so nice to be able to just hop on a plane and fly home without worrying about getting tested beforehand like I did last summer, or having to wear masks around loved ones! Seriously- I'll never take normal travel for granted again.
This trip was a bit tough in some ways as my grandmother recently moved into an assisted living facility, and it hasn't been an easy transition for her. This is the first time I've had a close family member make this type of move, and it is so, so tough. I have so much compassion for those of you that have had to do that before with your family members. There were some fun moments though on the trip! I got to see three of my friends (two of whom I wasn't able to see last summer!), go to a comedy show for my favorite Maine comedian Bob Marley, and visit some of my favorite local stores and restaurants. The weather was cold and rainy for most of the trip but I had a beautiful beach day on my last day home!
Here's my complete Travel Guide for the Kennebunks (Kennebunk and Kennebunkport) - all of my favorite hometown spots and my tourist recommendations can be found here!
I'm now looking forward to two weekends in Charlottesville, before a weekend trip in mid-June for Cara's wedding! So happy that this summer will include a nice mix of travel and staying home. Have you also resumed weekend trips again?
God Bless,
xoxo Annaliese
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Thanks so much for reading Southern Belle in Training! Comments make my day- so feel free to share your thoughts on this post! I read each and every comment.
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Xoxo