Caleb and I are currently stationed at Marine Corps Base Quantico. It’s been a change of pace from what we were accustomed to in North Carolina…no beach and a lot more traffic. But one of the perks of Quantico is that we are so close to our hometown of Fluvanna County, Virginia. Weekend trips to see our parents have come much more often now that we are closer in proximity.

This weekend was one of those weekends. A tried and true Fluvanna tradition is what we call Old Farm Day. It is a gathering of [pretty much] everyone in Fluvanna where there are booths, food, farm animals, and fun! I guess a good way of explaining it would be…a fair without rides that is more community focused. Anyone can set up a booth—Girl Scouts, 4H, churches, local businesses, and other organizations to name a few. We enjoyed some snow cones and BBQ while watching Huxley experience seeing farm animals for the first time. She made every passing stranger’s day as she waved to them. No really, her hand was barely by her side the whole day! Huxley was able to spend some time with her grandma and we were able to catch up with some friends from home. We even saw an ARHP couple at Old Farm Day doing their thing, running their small business. If you ever need some homemade Italian ice for your event, you should definitely look up Chill Bill’s Italian Ice in central Virginia!

The following day we went to Alumni Day at Fork Union Military Academy. It’s 2019, which means it was Caleb’s 10 Year Reunion (which means we are OLD)! Unfortunately, it was rainy, but we did dodge some major storms. The “parade” (a military parade is much different [read: calmer] than a civilian parade…it’s just marching in lines and the occasional yelling out cadence) was canceled, so instead we caught up with Caleb’s track coach and walked around campus seeing who else from the class of 2009 had attended. In true Haney style, we missed the picture we were supposed to be in, then called it a day!

As we were driving back to Quantico Sunday evening, I found myself thinking about the irony that is my life. I was always the girl who couldn’t wait to get of Fluvanna and move to the big city to reinvent myself. But now that I have that opportunity…I mean, we live right outside of DC…I just find myself wishing for simpler ways of living. Less hustle and bustle and more Old Farm Days. How funny is it that I married a Marine and thought we would live all over the world and our duty stations have been Quantico, Lejeune (NC), and back to Quantico? How funny is it that it was never my plan to live in a small town, but now that’s all I crave? The Marine Corps granted me what I wanted back when I was in high school dreaming of my ideal life…and now all I want is trade the streetlights back in for starlight.