Last Saturday, Morgan and I set out for what we thought would be a vendor event near the Virginia Beach oceanfront. We had visions of setting up our table with the iconic King Neptune statue in the background, the ocean breeze brushing past, and a bustling boardwalk crowd passing by.
Well… that’s not quite how things turned out.
I’ll admit it—I sometimes fly by the seat of my pants. I jump into opportunities without always doing the most thorough research. Such was the case when I signed up for spot #12 at Blue Pete’s Restaurant Vendor Fair. The listing said “Virginia Beach,” and my imagination filled in the rest.
My first clue that something was off came when Morgan said, “The GPS is taking us away from the Virginia Beach exits.”
“Hmmm, that’s odd,” I thought.
About twenty minutes later, the scenery shifted—wide-open countryside and winding two-lane roads with no forgiveness.
“Hmmm… again.”
I laughed and told Morgan, “Don’t worry, the city will appear any minute now.” We both cracked up.
Another twenty minutes went by, and we passed Pungo’s Farm, where families were out picking strawberries. That’s when I spotted the street name: Muddy Creek Road.
With less than 20 minutes to spare, we arrived and began unloading. Instead of Neptune and boardwalks, we had a picturesque view of Muddy Creek as our backdrop—and it was beautiful. We set up in record time.
That first book sale? Amazing. We signed every book we sold and got to tell our story to so many friendly locals browsing the 30+ vendor booths.
One of the highlights was meeting Cheryl Smith, Candidate for Virginia State Delegate and her husband, Chris. We also met several teachers and librarians who were genuinely interested in the Arcade Games series.
In the end, I realized something: It’s not always about how many books we sell. It’s about moments like these—spending a sunny, laughter-filled day with my daughter, connecting with new people, and sharing the joy of storytelling.
Thank you, Blue Pete’s Restaurant. What a lovely surprise.
– Josie Sherrill
