This past Friday was my birthday! In all honesty, its not as exciting as you may think it is turning nineteen. I mean, what's so special about being nineteen? 19 is between two of the more significant ages, 18 and 21, so why should you celebrate it? Well regardless, of the age, I still enjoy doing something fun. In past years, all I've ever truly wanted (besides money, because who doesn't like getting a little cash?) are experiences. In the past, for my 16th and 18th birthday, I requested that we fly across the country to California in order to spend time with extended family. For this birthday, I asked for a weekend trip and a little family bonding time. So, we went to Virginia Beach, very obviously located in Virginia, and these are the highlights of our trip:

The Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center

Since our hotel room wasn't ready and considering my love for animals of all shapes and sizes, of course, this had to be the first thing we did once we arrived in Virginia Beach. It was a huge place, with sea critters at every single turn as well as in every nook and cranny possible. While I already know a bunch about marine life and the like, it was still an amazing learning experience. With a map in hand, my sister and I led our parents through the aquarium, stopping to look at pretty much everything. There was no tank left unlooked at. Currently being enrolled in marine science, my sister took this as the opportunity to show off everything that she has learned thus far, acting as a tour guide in every sense. Even though she didn't know everything, she tried her best and that's all anyone could ever really ask of her. There were tons of laughs and lots of squeals of excitement (mostly from me), truly showing that there was no other way we could have kickstarted our trip.

Stingrays in the touch tank.

A little pufferfish on the move.

Eating my weight in ice cream

The entire trip lasted for two and a half days, and each day we ate as much ice cream as possible. On the first day, we decided to start with a classic: Ben & Jerry's. It's sad to say that this was not our first choice. My mom and I were looking forward to getting gelato, only to find out that the store was closed. So Ben & Jerry's became the first sweet treat that we enjoyed. With the store being right across the street, easily in walking distance, we found ourselves enjoying our favorite flavors after a fun-filled day. In particular, I had a scoop (or two) of chunky monkey, my absolute favorite Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

Then came the next day. Being much warmer than the first, we found ourselves walking along the boardwalk and the beach, eventually making our way towards the shops. It's here that we found our next ice cream stop: Kohr Bros. With this stand focusing on soft serve, we all left with delicious cones. While my parents and sister enjoy the classic chocolate ice cream, I opted for their vanilla and orange crème twist (which in my opinion was much better). Luckily, my entire family had done enough walking to last us a lifetime so we weren't too worried about how much ice cream we were eating.

Ben & Jerry's: (flavor) chunky monkey!

Long walks everywhere and warm weather

In Virginia Beach, the weather was much nicer compared to here in New Brunswick. Although it was a bit windy, it still was not as cold. Thus, my family made the decision to walk as much and as often as we could. With our hotel being right on the boardwalk, it was in the best spot possible. There was so much to do in such a small area that there was never a shortage of fun. We were always willing to take a trip outside, even if it was for a minute. Coming back to Rutgers, I wish that I had a bit more time in Virginia Beach. It provided me with the tiniest of sneak peeks at what spring should really be like, especially since the weather hasn't been all that great in New Brunswick.

Photoshoots with my sister

Between all of the fun we were having, my sister and I found time to bound through photo shoots. Whether this be out and about or in our hotel, we always made time to take photos and videos of each other. Between the warm weather (which made for some incredibly cute outfits) and the background, the pictures were a blast to take. Angles were worked and timers were used so we had a variety of photos at our disposal. Some didn't turn out amazing, but those that did definitely made it to our feeds on Instagram.

All in all, between sleeping and studying for an exam I had coming up, it was a pretty great weekend. My family had the chance to bond and I had some amazing first experiences. Being so last minute, I'm entirely thankful that my parents were able to plan such a trip on such short notice. It was definitely way too short, but there is definitely not a shortage of memories. Plus, I'm almost certain that at the moment my sister is attempting to convince my parents to drive down to Virginia Beach for her birthday, so we'll see where that goes. I'll keep you guys updated, but fingers crossed for another trip and even more beautiful weather!