Day Two - JMU and Southern VA

Southern hospitality never ceases to sneak up on me and pleasantly surprise me. I woke this morning a little late, and very groggy, despite how relaxed I felt the night before. As I checked out, I ran into two guys in the parking lot who instantly started chatting me up and asking about my car. They were travelling from Mississippi. Running into guys like these was what this trip was all about. Good people in beautiful locations.

The beautiful location du jour was of course JMU. I drove to campus and walked up to D-Hall to relive some memories. Then I walked back to the quad to take some day pictures of Wilson Hall and the rest of the Bluestone buildings. The campus was delightfully empty, which was quite conducive to my photography and quiet thoughts to myself. Of course, the few people I did see said hi or stopped to ask me a question or see how I was doing. Wonderful. I forgot what an incredibly cohesive community this was. all together one was our motto.

I also ran into the 2009 version of myself. A young skinny (ha!) guy with a backwards black baseball cap, a dog, and a camera taking architectural shots of the buildings. We definitely exchanged pleasantries with an unspoken understanding. There is nothing quite like connecting with people who see the world the way you do.

After spending some time getting a sunburn on the quad, I walked back to my car, stopping to smell (and shoot pics of) the flowers along my old paths to class and such. Got in my car and drove to my old freshman dorm, McGraw-Long. It's not the prettiest building, but it's so full of life--in the form of old stories and adventures--that it always seems beautiful to me.

I took some more pictures and then sat on the grass in front of my old hall reminiscing. There is a gorgeous wispy willow tree outside, overlooking a creek covered by a stone bridge.

Along with sitting on the grassy patches hanging out with the girls or studying, and running around having super-soaker fights, I always remember the first week of finals on that bridge. The night before my science final, I was pulling an all-nighter, and I smoked a Swisher Sweet to calm my nerves before returning to studying. I accidentally inhaled, and then I got really nauseous and just laid in my bed hating life for two hours! By the time I picked my books back up, it was 5 a.m. Youth is the best.

Since that grassy patch in front of the tree is one of the best spots on campus to see the landscape of the ISAT building, I took some pictures in the distance. Then I took off again to drive to the new part of campus, to take pictures of this very favorite building of mine.

The ISAT building to me has always been an epic building and a testament to the spirit of modern architecture. Something about its iconic tower always inspired hope for the future in me. I believe I was not wrong about that statement as that side of campus has blossomed exponentially. Not only did the student body grow, but so did the local town commerce....for better or for worse.

Before leaving campus, I drove to the arboretum to take some pictures of the flowers and foliage around the pond. There is a small antique bridge over the pond, and it looks very picturesque. There's something very special about that scene for me.

I was pretty tired by this point so I grabbed a sandwich and called one of my old partners in crime from said McGraw-Long Hall, Chrystal, who lived in Roanoke. We made dinner plans, and I hit 81 South like it was senior year all over again.

True to my love affair with small towns, I took Route 42 through a few towns first, including Dayton and Bridgewater. I drove by the old high school near our old house, the old Salvation Army where I volunteered, and the old Luigi's restaurant. Drove near the road for Reddish Knob, a scenic hilltop campfire spot that is pretty much mandatory for any JMU student to visit. Also drove by the road to Staunton, which brings back so many memories, including the high school where one of my girlfriends taught, and my graduation dinner. I also drove by Bridgewater College for the first time ever. It looked very fresh. I happened to drive by what seemed to be an entire high school class walking down the street. That's what I'm talkin' about!

I also drove through the town of Grottoes, which allowed me to have a very scenic and hilly (thus exciting) drive for a while yet before getting back on 81.

Ah, memories. Chrystal met me at a cool little outdoor pub called Fork in the Valley. Such a perfect low-key spot. We drank a couple of beers and caught up on everything that's passed since graduation. The last time we saw each other was in 2001, at Virginia Tech's graduation. I was visiting my cousin Chris, and she was visiting her husband. We picked up right where we left off. It was really a nice dinner reminiscing; I was very glad she was able to make it on such short notice.

During the dinner, she revealed to me that Roanoke was only two hours away from Greensboro, NC, my next stop! So we wrapped things up and I hit 220 South to finally cross the state border.

Driving through those familiar towns; the sparse, robust clouds providing a perfect backdrop for all the familiar buildings and hills; walking those steep familiar paths around campus; and catching up with old friends is really like travelling through time. I felt young and hopeful again. I love reminiscing over classic memories, and in the process creating new ones.

*For all the pics from today and the entire trip, check http://picasaweb.google.com/cyprian.mendelius.