This past Memorial Day Weekend, I traveled to Smith Mountain Lake to visit my boyfriend and his family. I hadn't seen my boyfriend since we left college in early May, so I definitely missed him. A LOT. His grandparent's house on Smith Mountain Lake is absolutely gorgeous and it was a wonderful weekend full of boat rides, tubing, swimming, good company, and good food.
I've never been much of a beach person. Ever since I was little, my skin has burnt almost every single time I've gone to the beach. I've been to Virginia Beach, Myrtle Beach, and different beaches in Florida while on vacation, and nothing seems really different about any of them.
I always get burnt and, for some reason, whenever we go it's always one of the busy days with tons of people around. My parents never buy beach umbrellas, so there's no way for me to really enjoy my beach reading, other than trying to shield myself with a baseball hat and sunglasses. Plus, the sand gets super hot and, by the end of the day, it's all up in your suit.
Like I said, I'm not really a beach person.
Before this year, I wasn't really much of a water person either. I'd play in our family pool when I was little, but after I'd splashed around for an hour or two, I'd either get out to sit in a deck chair and read, or hop on one of the floats and read.
But, after starting to date my boyfriend who was the captain of his swim team and part of a family that LOVES the water, I grew more accustomed to being outside and around water.
I'd still never been tubing, so when his family took me out on the water and looked at me to hop on the tube next, I got up with shaky noodle legs. I looked at my boyfriend, who then helped me onto the float. And when we were waiting for his grandfather to pick up speed on the boat, I leaned over to him and warned that I hadn't quite gotten my sea-legs yet and braced for the waves.
That day was one of the most fun I've had in a while. I got to relax and have a few days off work to spend with one of my favorite people.
Other than being able to enjoy a full water view, I love the lake because it has wonderful memories of people I love, and his favorite people that I'm just getting to know.