"Carry me back to Old Virginia. . ."

I'm in a thoughtful mood today; perhaps you could call it pensive, or even melancholy.

It's raining, and the weatherman promises it will continue to rain "until June." I'm scowling. I suppose that is some sad person's idea of humor.

October used to be my second favorite month (May being my first favorite). That was because in October, the changing leaves were at their most colorful, the sky was bluer than in any other month, and the weather was just cool and crisp enough to remind you that it was Autumn. It didn't rain much in October; rain was primarly confined to months which were dismal already: November and Februrary, for example. ;)

I miss home. I miss my parents' house hidden in a clearing on 44 acres of Virginia countryside. I miss watching the mist come off the mountains in the morning as I drove to work. I miss the little two-lane roads winding through tunnels of oak and maple trees and past sprawling fields with horses grazing. I miss the little country churches everywhere; I miss Middleburg; I miss Leesburg. I even miss our ridiculously long, unpaved driveway which was completely impassible if it ever snowed. :) I just miss Virginia. It's home.

Not that Oregon doesn't have its share of beauty; a few unbiased people might even tell you Oregon is lovelier than Virginia. It's just not home to me. Funny how you can appreciate a place, even love a place, but there will always be one spot in your heart reserved for the place: home. Nowhere else fits that home-shaped hole, and never will.

A few years ago, I had a friend from Indiana who had moved to Virginia for a short-term internship. One day as a group of us was out hiking or something I exclaimed, "Isn't Virginia beautiful?" and he replied, "Yes, it's even more beautiful than Indiana." Then he said, "But Indiana will always be home." I never understood what he meant until I left VA last year, knowing there was a very real possibility I'd never move back. Now I know: No matter where I live, "Virginia will always be home."

(To my less sentimental readers; a less "sappy" post next time, I promise! ;))