Now that fall has finally arrived (even though there was a random day this week when the temp hit, like, 80 degrees but whatever), I can close out the summer on this blog with my Southampton vacation recap.
As mentioned on this blog so many times, I did my high school years in Nigeria. Four good long years. It was a complete culture shock living and schooling in the States all of my life and then BAM! I'm in my home country, living and schooling...and not visiting. I was so used to my two week holiday vacation (always around Christmas time when the excitement of being home finally wears off and I'm ready to head back to the States) that when the third week came around it dawned on me like, oh shit, I'm really living here.
Anywho, I went to FGGC Owerri, an esteemed boarding school based in the capital of Imo State, which so happens to be Owerri. For the first year and a half, I was a day student. But on a Sunday during the Easter break, I remember being in my grandparents' kitchen thinking to myself, "Yep. It's time to become a boarder". The following week or so, I was dragging my luggage and belongings up the steps and into Blue House.
And to this day, I continually thank myself for making the best decision of my young teenage life. While being a day student was nice, being a boarder allowed me to get to know my classmates and the school a bit better. Plus, all the fun stuff happens after school hours! Becoming a boarder produced some of my most embarrassing moments but also funny ass moments I'll never ever forget. And of course, beautiful great memories I'll always treasure. Oh and I've met some great ladies along the way.
Including the ladies in this reunion.
Before I get into the reunion, let me dedicate a paragraph (or two) to Southampton. This was my first time visiting the popular tourist attraction. If you're looking for 24/7 partying and living it up, this ain't the place. Southampton is truly a chill town. There's Main Street, where all of the luxury retail and dining are located. There's Cooper Beach, about a 10 minute drive from where we stayed. Fun fact: This beach charges $50 to park in their lot. iLaughed. We definitely Uber'd there. Primarily, Southampton is a place to relax and let the day roll by. I can see why so many New Yorkers hightail it out of the city to decompress at the Hamptons. From DC, I did an overnight stay at my sister's place in Jersey then took the 1.5 hr drive to Southampton.
We decided to do a vacation rental through VRBO. The house is also on Main Street, making it so easy for us to get to places. As you can see from the photos, the owners went into great detail to make the house feel like a vacation home. Loved all of the art work pieces. The house contained 3 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, a washer and dryer, fully stocked kitchen, an outside porch, and large backyard with 6 bicycles for our use.
Okay, back to the reunion.
I haven't seen these lovely ladies in almost twenty years! Yes, I'm showing my age but fuck it. TWENTY YEARS. Thanks to the internet and social media, we've all been in contact with each other but for me, I haven't seen them face-to-face in almost two decades. My last recollection of them are us in our school uniform (buttoned down light blue blouse and navy blue pencil skirt with our trendy cornrow hairstyles) going to class or in our gingham daywears representing our respective house colors (I touched on this topic a bit here). A part of me was worried the vibe wouldn't be there but this quickly went away once I saw them. Our excitement filled the air and for the duration of the trip, we reminisced about the good ol' days while catching up on our current lives. First of all, black don't crack. And secondly, I'm so happy to report that everyone is living their best lives while thriving in their careers. Also, a few of them are dabbling into creative interests, as well. There's the hospitalist who's a professional singer, the cardiologist who's becoming quite the photographer and videographer. And an engineer who earlier this year started her own fashion and travel blog. Check it out here.
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| Group selfie at Cooper's Beach |
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| After eating at Sundays on the Bay. This turned out to be our favorite restaurant of the vacation. |
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| After eating at 75 Main. |
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| Our last night in Southampton. Dinner was at The Plaza Cafe. |
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| Main Street |
Okay, so I lied. The next post will officially close the chapter on Summer 2018. I'll be highlighting what I wore on this trip.
*Finding a great vacay rental home can be a bit stressful. We definitely lucked out in Southampton. Here are a few options if you ever plan on a vacation to DC - 12 Best Airbnbs in DC.
