This is the first in a series of summer blogs about the mother-daughter travels of myself and my 22-year old daughter. Though we live in Hampton Roads, we just can’t seem to keep still. Maybe were also Rom, in addition to being Black and Native American, but that’s another story for a later date.

Today at 3pm we roll into Virginia Beach and are one of five cars within a twenty-block radius on Atlantic Boulevard. Can you say anomaly? Every weekend, the Atlantic strip is usually chrome kissing chrome. On the boardwalk and the creamy colored beach, beach combers, vacationers, ecstatic kids, whiny babies, slinky bikinis, and fat-kini wearers, men’s bronze and not so bronze chests, middle aged-pouches, and one man blissfully smoked a cigar. Of course, the usual beach umbrellas dot the sands as tons of sunscreen gets lathered on or sprayed. Virginia Beach is Hampton Roads’ French Riviera, sans the nudity. We’re staying at the Breakers Hotel, a local campy joint sandwiched between newer, more glossier hotel chains. Although we’re on a pow wow committee, my daughter and I are evading the work for a few hours and, as James Baldwin would say, to take the waters. It’s beautiful southern day, little humidity, a cool Atlantic breeze. Afiya turns her chair towards the sun like the other sun bathers, despite her deep brown skin; She’s a sun baby. “I understand now why people wear long dresses in the desert,” she says.

“Why?” A child runs past me.

“Because I didn’t feel warm until I took off my dress.” Go figure. All my life, this Buddha lens from a youthful mouth. My daughter is gorgeous in her moss green bikini and Chaka Khan hair, bulbous five dollar purple sunglasses and a nose ring. She looks like a movie star instead of the unemployed recent college grad that she is. No worries. She should turn her face to the sun, rest, lounge, party, celebrate. She did exactly what was expected of her in our society…four grueling years of learning, new experiences and enriching growth. And not a day more. She’s done. Now, she should arch her back and people watch the day away while the sun cooks her a darker toffee. There’s time enough for job searches. Today, there is an entire summer of travel before us. Tomorrow, we pow wow. If you’ve never been to a Native American pow wow, stayed tuned…

For more about us please see: Journey Women

For more information about The Breakers please visit their website: breakersresort.com