One thing is true every time I travel, I bump into a Hokie or pass by a someone rocking a Virginia Tech hat or t-shirt. Whether it's at a resort in Aruba, or Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, said certainty holds up.
With that said, it didn't surprise me to see a Hokie fly the flag (via /u/V_T_, /r/virginiatech) at the South Pole. However, it's still an excellent photo worth sharing.
Do you experience the same during your travels, TKP? If so, then I'm curious, what's the most random place you've met a fellow Hokie?
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I PCS-ed to Korea in February and was rocking a VT hat during the flight. I get off the plane in Incheon and start walking towards the shuttle and get stopped by someone in the middle of the airport mentioning you can't go anywhere without running into a Hokie. That chance encounter, 7-11 in the airport, and many other American businesses made my girls and I feel at home in this completely different and unique atmosphere.
Side note, if you get the chance you should go to Korea. It's amazing over here!
I haven't had many encounters with fellow Hokies that were particularly noteworthy for their randomness, although, I do see more than I would expect out here in New Mexico.
However, once, when I was living in Nantes, France, I was wearing a "Virginia is For Lovers" shirt on a tram on my way home from work, and some guy started talking to me about it. He had apparently lived in Charlottesville when he was a kid, and his parents owned a restaurant there. I have family in Charlottesville, so I told them about the encounter, and it turned out said restaurant was next door to the bakery that my family there owns. They knew this guy's dad pretty well, and even remembered him from when he lived there. It was a pretty crazy "small-world' experience.
I also ran into a couple who were UVA alumni when I visited the Louvre. Both of these incidents struck me as pretty random at the time, but I suppose, given the enormous overlap between Hoo and French stereotypes, it really isn't all that surprising.
which restaurant? which bakery?
The restaurant has been closed for a while now, and I can't recall the name. The Bakery my family owns is Albemarle Baking Company.
I had one sister who worked at ABC for a bit before they moved to Staunton. Another one owned a restaurant just down the hill on water street. Tough place to make a go of it with a restaurant.
My dad worked with Jerry before he went to Ablemarle Baking. He's a fantastic guy!
Haha that's crazy. That's my uncle! Before ABC...would that have been the Boar's Head?
You sure bet! I still go into ABC whenever I drop by Charlottesville (that and Bodo's)
My son and the owner's son knew each other in school. Great family!
"Which bakery?" is not the relevant question here. What everyone wants to know is, did you purchase a cake or pie from said bakery???
Back in 2008, I was at Philmont Scout Ranch leading my oldest son's trek. I was in THE grocery store in Cimarron, NM and the manager was sporting a VT T-shirt. (Her niece from Taos was a freshman.) Funny thing was I had just been ragging the other scoutmaster I was with (who graduated from Chapel Hill) about how Hokies were everywhere after seeing a Hokie bumper sticker in Colorado Springs just days earlier.
On my honeymoon I got a Go Hokies at literally every place went in Italy, but by far the most remote place in which I got it was
RiomaggioreVernazza in the Cinque Terre region. Was walking by in my VT jacket and heard it from someone sitting down to lunch. Got talking to them, and eventually day down ourselves to find out it was a former VT professor (I want to say it was engineering of some type) and his wife who had spent the last 25+ years in Blacksburg and had just recently retired and were on a long awaited vacation to celebrate.The exact location, as seen from this picture is under the Yellow and Red square umbrella in the center of the picture that I took on a hike about an hour later.
Apologies for the size of the picture. I'll try and fix later.
No apology necessary. I'm sorry you couldn't make it bigger. That's actually a nice photo. Composition is spot on.
I was in cinque terre and saw a guy on the train (can't remember what town we were heading to) rocking some sort of Tech clothing. He was on the other side of the train so I didn't say anything. Either the two of us were there at the same time or we really are everywhere.
This is Vernazza not Riomaggiore, but all of Cinque Terre is really beautiful. I watched my friend get stung by a jellyfish in the far right middle of this picture last summer.
Damn, you're right. I couldn't remember last night so I tried to google it. Of course, images for Vernazza appeared when I went to search for Riomaggiore. Amending the main post.
Wasn't trying to be a douche, this is actually the only place that I could remember and name accurately from a picture in Cinque Terre.
I actually appreciate the heads up. I had completely forgotten the name of that town.
Were you there 2006ish. That sounds very familiar to the story I logged in to post except we were being seated at dinner in Venice and the table were we seated at had a retired ME professor and his wife. I was sporting my Hokie gear so he introduced himself and asked what year I graduated, degree, etc.
After I got married my wife who is a Hoosier was always amazed that no matter where we were (typically midwest) some random Hokie alum would always stop and say hi if I was wearing any swag.
2013, actually. Pretty cool to have so similar a story that far apart across the world.
I meet Hokies and Hokie Fans everywhere, honestly I'm more surprised I don't see a Hokie out and about even on vacation. Like at Disney Friday I was surprised I only got one "Go Hokies"
The wife and I travel out of the US frequently and 95% of the time we encounter someone from Hokie Nation and offer a "Let's Go, Hokies!". From Zermatt, Switzerland, the tiny island of Malta, to islands of the Caribbean. Love seeing VT represented everywhere.
I was in a bar in Abu Dhabi by the Yas Marina Circuit for the first time (that I frequented the rest of my time there). I walk in and immediately get a Go Hokies from a regular there. He graduated I think in the early 2000s or late 90s and moved to Abu Dhabi I think for work. I was already drunk so it is difficult to recall the specifics of the conversation. I kept seeing him the rest of the times I was at that bar. Always a loud Go Hokies when we saw each other.
Yas Marina is a blast. Were you at the Stars and Stripes bar or one of the hotel bars?
Stars and Bars was the name of it. There were several fun places on that same strip next to the marina that we also frequented. The yachts you could see there were out of this world.
Unless they've changed things since '06, the Navy wouldn't allow us off the ship overseas in anything that identified us as American or in the navy. Naturally, we're the only people wearing polo shirts and long pants everywhere we went, automatically identifying us as American Navy. It would have been cool to also were VT gear.
I was there working in the oil industry, but Abu Dhabi has so many expats that you may not be as easily noticed anymore. It's very westernized when you go to the malls or hotels. Also There were a surprising number of Irish in that country.
Palma, Greece, Turkey, Dubai, it was always the Brits taking the most risk to possibly offend the locals. Looked like a Miami Vice reunion whenever they were around.
Cooperstown, NY. I have seen many people in Hokies colors!
Ey! I worked with that guy in undergrad. Cool dude. There's a few hokies up here in "basically canada"
There are a handful of us on the base I work on in Spain, including another in my office. Always makes me homesick to see the maroon and orange
I have seen/talked to a couple people here in London for the few months I've been here.
i always where the colors when we are not home. The best reactions were in Miami where scUM fans really hate us. Ass holes.
They have fans?
Yep...tons of them. Gets hot as hell down there.
Is that you Yellow M&M?
I've noticed that unlike UVA (and many other fans), that hokies will actually say something, vs just look and think to themselves "oh thats nice". I get talked to by other hokies probably 75% of the time outside of NOVA (and 10% within NOVA), which I think is pretty neat.
in key west two weeks back and the first stop I make when I get it in is a starbucks while im getting out of my car a group of 4 hokies class of 82' are getting on their Harleys notice my VT license plate and we spend the next 30 min or so chatting about Blacksburg and hokie tales. not often do I go somewhere that I don't see a hokie.
In the spirit of Hokie Nation being everywhere, athletic department member Damian Salas is currently riding in the Bike the US for MS. He has a running blog on the journey that started May 31st and ends August 2 in San Fran. 62 days, 9 states, 3785 miles. Ut Prosim!
http://www.dsalas.com/
Not overly exotic, but coming back to Charlotte on a redeye from San Diego a few weeks back, I got a GO HOKIES! from 3 different people who weren't together. I thought that was pretty freaking cool.
Spring Break senior year, drive 700 miles to Navarre Beach, Florida, purposely picking a slightly out of the way beach to avoid people. Wake up the next morning and look over at the SUV in the neighbor's driveway with a big ole VT sticker on the back window.
I live not too far from there, and there's a big VT flag flying in my yard on game days.
Two houses down is another Hokie as well.
There are a few of us here in the Florida Panhandle, even if there are lots more Alabama, Auburn, and UofF flags flying.
Doesn't hurt that Tech produces a bunch of Navy, Marine, and Air Force flyers, and Navarre is surrounded by bases in every direction but south.
True.
Lots of military members enjoy their assignment here, and many retire here.
Any military place I go to there is a large chance I run into an old classmate or some Alumni (Afghanistan, Qatar, Alabama, and the list goes on). Love being a Hokie!
So true. Although, the Hokies I ran into were never classmates (did the Army before VT). Crazy thing is, as ridiculously small as my HS was, I ran into 3 different guys from HS while deployed.
Watching the UVA game in Durango Colorado one year, the waitress from another table kept coming up to us to find out the score. We were the only ones watching the game on one of a half dozen tvs I had bribed the bartender to tune in for us. She finally had time to tell us she'd just graduated from VT the previous spring. We won the game and she bought us a round.
Same trip, I had just caught a 6lb trout in the Green River in Utah on a homemade fly I made from wild turkey maribou. A couple stopped to watch the action, and approached me as I released the fish. The hubby asked me what the fly was called, never having seen such a creation before. I hadn't named it, but made up on the spot that I guessed it was called a Hokie-bou. They grinned, and it turned out that they were both Hokies. About that time, my wife walked up and we shared a moment as four Hokies who met by chance on the Green. Not too exotic, but cool, nonetheless.
Lastly, someone above mentioned Cimarron, NM. I went into a western store to buy a straw cowboy hat there about twenty years ago. I was wearing a VT hat when I went in, and when I told the person at the counter I needed a new hat to fit in the western culture, she remarked that with a VT hat, I was always in style. Turns out she had a nephew attending Tech and had become a big fan as a result.
if you don't mind my asking-where on the green river was this? I'll be spending July 4th in Moab (I live in Tucson) and was unaware there was good fishing in the green (I've been to Moab many times).
As a side note, I drove up to SLC about two months ago for some late season snowboarding and the guy I parked behind at Snowbird had a VT plate. I wouldn't think that finding another Hokie that day would be all that rare, but to park directly behind him? Awesome day, to say the least.
Just below the Flaming Gorge Reservoir dam. Northeast corner of Utah. Lots of driftboats, but good shore access and an inordinate number of big fish. I caught nice rainbows, cutthroats, and cutbows up to six pounds.
That's how all my LOLUVa stories start and end, too. What a coincidence.
Always great to see fellow Hokies during travels and share that bond.
Had someone scream Go Hokies to me from across the bar in Abu Dhabi a couple years ago.
In April I had a girl in Barcelona see my shirt while I was walking on the street and stop to talk to me, she graduated recently.
About 4 years ago someone working at the Panama Canal saw my shirt and told me one of their head engineers at the canal is a VT alum.
You may have met the guy a few posts up
I used to travel a lot to Europe in a previous job and was in Helsinki for a week or two about a decade ago. One night, I went out for dinner at a nice restaurant in the city with some Finnish co-workers and while waiting by the maitre d' for our table to be ready, I struck up a conversation with a older couple who were waiting for their table. After a few minutes of chatting, I found out that they were both former professors at VT from the 80's. They were seated first and invited me to have a drink or two with them at their table while my co-workers continued to wait. It was such a unique experience and they were so pleasant, I almost hated to bid them farewell and join my dinner party when everyone else I was with was seated.
Heres a shout out from another Hokie in New Mexico. After 20 yrs of active duty, in a wide variety of duty stations and deployments, I can say that I found Hokies all throughout my travels.
Nice! Didn't realize there were other Burquenos on TKP.
I've see some Hokie paraphernalia on a few vehicles around here, but haven't actually met a fellow Hokie so far.
Wife and I were visiting a friend in India, traveling in a fairly remote part of Himachal Pradesh in the Himalyas (I believe from Mandi to Manali) through a mountain pass solely populated by villages that didn't appear to have any running water or electricity (don't ask about the bathrooms at the place we did stop). And while driving in my friend's car (also a Hokie) we ride right past a guy in a maroon Virginia Tech sweater walking up a mountain waving at us as we drove by.
You didn't stop and offer him a ride? /s
But seriously...
I would have at least stopped and talked to the guy.
You don't stop on those roads. 1.5 lanes wide with traffic both ways always going 50mph whipping around mountain turns. The only safety consideration was both drivers slamming on their horns when taking a blind corner (which was every 30 seconds) so the oncoming traffic might hear them. I feared for my life so many times driving it eventually just became background noise.
There are no rules of driving in India. You can stop whenever and wherever. Others will navigate around you. They may curse you out, but it's your right to curse back at them, even if you are at fault. haha I know all this cause I have lived in India and been to Himalayas few times.
Hopefully you enjoyed your trip!
Almost sounds like driving in NYC (minus the mountains part)...
Ran into a couple sitting in the coliseum at Ephesus, Turkey, and a couple days later an older gentleman taking photos of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. The first were on vacation from the DC area, did not get a chance to say more than Go Hokies to the second.
I used to live in this small town in Virginia that was practically crawling with hokies. Trying to remember the name. Blackstown, I think. Maybe Blacksville? This is gonna bother me all day. I'll have to go look it up now.
Blackstone ?
This one time I was at the south pole, and this guy was holding a big VT flag for someone to take a picture....
Seems to be all the rage recently. I didn't know we had formed such a large colony to the south.
I walked upstairs to talk to a coworker who went to VT. Then I walked by someone else's office and they went to VT. Then there was this one time at Penn State where the head of the department was also formerly at VT. Also, I went to VT.
I was in San Diego in the summer of 2014 walking to catch the train to the convention center and I hear someone from across the street say "Hey! Virginia Tech!" As usual I responded in kind with a Go Hokies! He replied with Wahoowa! As I walked off I yelled, "BOOOO! Get out of here with that @%#$!"
Literally yesterday, military training environment an O-5 sat down to talk with us and asked where we went to school/commissioning source. Upon telling him I went to Virginia Tech he responds in the middle of my sentence to tell me he is a wahoo and he already does not like me. Still talking I ended with my intro with "12-0 bro." There was a moment we both didn't speak staring at each other. So running into Hokies is great, destroying Wahoos any chance you get "priceless"
12-0 bro?
Ohhh 12 games in a row.
I was like nah, it's 38-0 bro
I made that assessment and all those losses to most UVA fans just seem to fade in their utter failure like their football program. 12 Losses in a row is more damning now then one game
patience, the win streak might just get to 38 games!
How's KP duty today?
I can tell you that the Hokie Presence is very strong in San Diego. My brother runs the Alumni Chapter out there, and they have a ton of interest. They have a great VA Tech themed bar out in Pacific Beach called Bub's Dive Bar, you can get T-Shirts from there with VT Colors on it. Also, many bars around the area have the Live for 32 plaques or Ribbons up, which always makes me feel at home when I am out there.
The 9AM kickoff special at Bub's Dive Bar, running all season long
via GIPHY
I haven't gotten to experience it for myself yet. From what I have heard it consists of a large quantity of bloody marys. May we give those poor souls on the west coast several late kickoffs this year.
Oh god, yes, please. Please!
I currently live in Quito, Ecuador after living/working in Blacksburg for nine years. I see a surprisingly large number of folks sporting VT gear and accessories down here...none more memorable than the night we beat OSU in the Horseshoe at a street festival while celebrating the win.
I know a girl who was in my wife's architecture class that was from Quito and lives there now, maybe she's one of the people you see!
On my wife and mine 1 yr anniversary, we went up to NYC. I was walking around the nearly completed Freedom Tower (sounds a million times better than the OWTC) wearing my Hokie Swag when a group of folks smiled, waved and shouted "GO HOKIES". One of the best feelings ever. Now, one of the worst feelings, walking around C'ville (and this is on numerous occasions), seeing folks decked out in Hokie swag, you say "nice [clothing apparel]" or "go hokies" and not even getting a returned look. WTF IS THAT SHIT!?
Hearing loss probably, never assume. :--)
Dude, those are the few deluded loluva football fans still existing who lost yet another football bet with their Hokie relatives, coworkers or spouses. Doomed to walk the streets of 'hooville in disgrace for yet another long year until foolishly making the same bet, yet another time. Your brotherly chat is seen as yet another painful lash in their sentence. Hee, hee, hee, he chortled in glee.
See, that was confusing me when I was at the game this past Nov. I would see folks decked out in Hokie standing to sing the Boohoos "fight" song. After the initial confusion I concluded that it HAD to be lost bets.
No, just overwhelming desire to become winners.
I was wearing a hokie shirt when my mother and I got on one of those hop-on hop-off buses in Tallin, Estonia. As soon as I got on and headed for the second floor, I heard a crowd yell "Go Hokies!" and couldn't believe it so I froze, the bus started, and I almost fell down from shock. I then yelled "screw UVA!" and got quite a lot of cheers.
Still haven't met any Berlin Hokies yet this summer where y'all at?
I've lived in NE Ohio for the last decade. My neighbors across the street are Hokies. I snuck a VT gnome into their front garden when they moved in a couple years ago. It's still comforting to see somebody else sporting VT stuff all the time.
No matter what sporting event I attend it seems I run into at least one Hokie.
I would also like to say thank you to all the Hokies who have approached my parents or yelled Go Hokies when seeing my parents in Hokie gear. Even though my parents never attended, those people told them they were in the Hokie Family since I attended. My parents love it!
During the summer before my freshman year, I went to the Dominican Republic with my family. While I was there, I noticed a guy wearing one of those stupid "What's a Hokie? I AM!" t-shirts. Of course I went up to him and introduced myself; turns out he was a rising freshman just like me. Naturally, we hung out and partied together for the remainder of the week. Flash forward a month - I'm taking a lap around the second floor of Pritchard after moving in and who do I bump into? The same guy. Who was also living on my floor. Pretty ridiculous coincidence. We didn't end up being good friends or anything, but we would always shoot the shit whenever we bumped into each other downtown.
The wife and I ran into some Hokies at Hermits Rest on the south rim of the Grand Canyon.
Last week, I was at Georgia Tech for a class and got a "Go Hokies!" walking down the street in Midtown.
Laid over in Doha back in 2007. I was with my mom travelling back from Goa, India. A ton of Hokies. There was way more orange and maroon than I could have imagined. Our flight alone had at least 20 Hokies. This was a week after the Jayhawk Orange Bowl debacle.
"Where were you, when you ran into a Hokie unexpectedly?"
Sorry, just appreciating the same type of post I made and was ridiculed for :)
I went to Europe last month and met fellow Hokies in all 4 countries that I traveled through. I probably met/saw a total of 15-20 Hokies. I swear we VT grads wear our school gear more than most other schools. My sister (an NC State student) who went on the trip only spotted 2 people in NC State gear.
I was flying through Athens last week, there was a pack of college kids wearing UNC, NC State, Duke, ECU, App State, and one Hoo. I wept for these youths.
To be fair, the kid in the UNC shirt got a degree with it so there's that.
FTFY
I was in a bar in Denver rocking a VT golf shirt, and got stopped by a couple guys from Clemson who were happy that I was repping the ACC. I congratulated them on their past few seasons, and they were enthusiastic in their praise for the Fuente hire. They think VT will be back in the national spotlight this year or next. They were pretty cool. Hope they are right.
Went to Germany last year with some fellow Hokies and got plenty of Go Hokies at various places. The first night in Munich we went to Hofbrauhaus and within minutes, we had a few college age kids come over and explain they were current students studying abroad for the semester and in Munich for the weekend. When my buddies headed home, I decided to head to Rome for a few days since I had so much vacation time built up at work. The first night I was there, I sat down to grab dinner at an outdoor table of a restaurant. A few minutes later, the door of a small hotel directly across the street opened, and out walked a girl. As she was walking by, she glanced over at my table and immediately did a double take-- it was a Hokie I was friends with. Completely chance meeting - she had gotten into town that day as well and was only there for a night, so we had a nice impromptu dinner to catch-up.
Have yelled Go Hokies to random other Hokies in most states of this country (I driven cross country 6 times through 32 states and camped and explored parts of most of them). Too many to list.
I have said Go Hokies to other Hokies in Costa Rica and saw another Hokie in the airport in Santiago, Chile.
I was hiking in Moab Utah, got to the summit and did a double take at the guy coming down off of it. We were both wearing Sigma Chi shirts. That was crazy giving the social grip to another brother from a different chapter out in the middle of the desert.
Interesting that you can't throw a stick around here without hitting someone who's been in Moab. I have spent a fair amount of time there, weeks over the years, usually on the way to, or recovering from, camping in Canyonlands. What a cool place in the world. Was last there just this past fall.
I'd love to go back and explore more!
Truly a land of never ending wonder. Moab's kinda cool, too. A great place to buy a T shirt, as well.
The first time I went to Costa Rica there were some girls from my dorm hall on the plane.
Gotta love those fillies.
Back in the mid 90's, my wife and I went to Australia. We were walking along the street in Manly Beach, which is right outside of Sydney and I was in my VT gear (like I always am) and from the distance I hear "Go HOKIES". It just proves we are sprinkled all over the world.
Every couple of years, I see thousands of them in Charlottesville.
There are quite a few here on an ongoing basis, judging from car decals, clothing, and other miscellaneous gear I see regularly.
Nature abhors a vacuum.
Apropos of nothing, I had an interesting conversation last week at the Barracks Rd Kroger. As I was going in, a gentleman saw my hat (VT prominently displayed, of course), and he asked "How do you get by wearing that hat around here?" So I break out the stock reply that I just ask anyone giving me a hard time what the score of last year's football game was. We both had a good laugh, and he tells me that he loves what Tech has going on now with Fuente, and that he had several relatives that played for Tech. Turns out he's a cousin of DeAngelo, and related to a few other players. The guy played at FSU, had a son that played DB for WV (I had to ask why....it was a playing time issue. Too many excellent kids at VT). The guy has coached arena league, had a lot of great stories. He's working for Kroger out of Richmond (don't know why he was up here). So here's a shout out to Mack, wherever he is.
I call that apropos of everything. Hokies and their ilk abound, even in a place like 'hooville. Ain't it grand that a hat can inspire a great connection regardless of where you wear it?
I have had many a fun conversation started by my hat.
That's nothing. Took my Tech towel with me to the LOLUVA Aquatics & Fit Ctr pool (my wife works for the med ctr & gets a discount). There's NOTHING they can do about it except take it.
I've walked into Alderman library in my hat...got several strange looks. Come to think of it, I guess those looks were kind of familiar. Same look on the hoo faces at Lane north every other year.
Sometimes when I see someone wearing a V and the scissors hat I will good naturedly speak to them. I usually say that if they paid more than a quarter for that hat, they got gypped. They usually ask why, if not, I tell them anyway that the hat is defective. They usually bite and ask why. I then inform them that the factory left off the T. Lame, I know, but nobody's gotten pissed, they usually chuckle, and some good conversations have occurred as a result.
That's not lame at all. That's just looking out and good manners.
Flew through Houston (Bush) and the security bins to put your laptops and such in were branded with VT decals. Pretty neat.
August 2012, I was flying out to Cali for work. My wife and I had been texting back and forth debating whether we should go to the GT Monday night game (she wasn't feeling it). I was in SFO and a guy walked by wearing a Hokies United shirt. I texted her to tell her this and she responded with 'it's a sign, we're going.' And we did. And it was awesome.
I went to get a drink after work yesterday here in North Carolina (after reading this thread), saw someone in a VT shirt across the room, and yelled "Go Hokies". He just stared back at me and said "Really.... Dad". TKP is really helping me through the off season.
took the family out to eat last night for our family's "8th birthday" (8 year anniversary, but when you've got a 5 year old, 3 year old, and a 38 weeks pregnant wife and live in a new town where you don't know any babysitters yet, it's got to be a family celebration). On the way to the restaurant, my 3 year old daughter says "I'll say 'let's go' and you say 'hokies.'" She kept saying "let's go" so I kept saying "hokies." Not wanting to stifle what I hope will be a lifelong fandom, I indulged her for all 20 minutes to get to the restaurant. Wife and son were amused at first...
I was once on this website where I ran into like 111 people who were Hokie fans as well.
"TheCriticalDown"...?
No, that doesn't sound right.
"TheDecisiveContest"...?
No...
Hm. I'll let y'all know if I think of it.
The vital production?
Thepivotalperformace
ThisImportantSeries?
EmmaWatsonGifs.com?
SayNoToRichRod.net
I travel around Europe often for work and it is very common to run into hokies in different airports. One trick that I have learned is that wearing a VT shirt while traveling is a great way to let other Americans know that you are American without having a big sign that says "hey everybody, I am from the U.S." I am currently in Astana KZ. on business and my first night here I was at a well known bar sporting my VT gear and immidiatley met 2 other Americans. They have since introduced me to an entire community of foreign people and my stay here has been incredible. It's a trick that has worked almost everywhere I have traveled to.
By the way, Kazakhstan is not like Borat makes it out to be (yes, I was shocked) but actually very beautiful. I would recommend to anybody looking for someplace different to visit Astana and Almaty.
In 2002, while the husband was stationed in Darmstadt, we lived in a small town called Griesheim. We would see several Hokies sporting hats or t-shirts in Griesheim. They were all military families like us, but it was still very cool. The Army truly is a small world. Keep in mind this is right after 9/11, and we'd been advised to try not to look too American, in hopes we'd blend in when out and about, so as not to be targets of terrorism. Our love for VT often won out. We've met Hokies in our travels across the U.S as Hokies always represent. Other schools, not quite as much. As least not through my orange and maroon colored glasses.
The only school gear (other than VT) that I see consistently throughout my travels is Ohio State. Granted, they have a larger alumni base than us, but they represent very well.
It doesn't matter what one wears, a service member will stick out like a sore thumb because of their haircut and the way they carry themselves. What unit was your husband in? I was stationed in Darmstadt from 2003-2007. I was in B-Co 32nd.
When I was still at Tech, the Mechanical Engineering department had an exchange program with a college in Darmstadt. It may have helped increase the Orange and Maroon there.
Not surprising. Darmstadt has two pretty prestigious universities, Technical University of Darmstadt and Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. Darmstadt is also the site of the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC).
Top of Haleakala, Maui...it was 37 degrees out and was wearing my sweatshirt, got a GO HOKIES! from an alumn to warm the view up a bit.
In Charlottesville a couple years ago with my girlfriend at the time and her family (All Hoos). Was walking into Bodo's when I heard a Let's Go...Hokies" out of a car driving past. Priceless.
Spending my summer in Nashville and my first night out a group of Hokies approached me because of my VT polo. Thanks again to those guys for the tequila shot and the beer!
Was in Wuhu, China (if you know China, phucking Wuhu) and I was there consulting for government. In the meetings there was this really beautiful Chinese girl, tall, long black hair. Anyway, she was across the room. Then after dinner the whole group took a tour down into the wine cellar (famous historic landmark there) and I happen to find myself walking slower and slower until what do you know, I am walking nearby the girl.
We say hello and start chatting. She knows English, and it's pretty good. So I asked all the normal questions: where u from? where did u go to school? what are you doing here? etc, etc and turns out she went to school in Virginia. Wow, me too. Where in Virginia? Holy shit, Virginia Tech.
Now we are both super excited. She went there to study landscape architecture and I am also a designer. So In the middle of Wuhu, under the center of the city in an historic Wine Cellar that is 4 stories below ground I met a Hokie. And then I stayed in Wuhu for the weekend to uh... talk about landscape design...
so...more like "woohoo?"
I believe he did say:
I got it. But you got it first.
So is Wuhu kind of like the Chinese equivalent of Charlottesville?
yes, in that you really have no reason to go there and generally avoid if possible unless you have reason to meet a pretty girl and discuss landscapes.
otherwise, in no way are they similar. haha, it was just a forced pun
In Britain, I believe they call those
Was in Reagan Airport sitting at the bar with the gf. I saw a guy in a hokie shirt and hat looking around for 2 seats together. We were leaving soon, so I flagged him down to give him our spots. Not saying I wouldn't have done it for 2 people wearing some other apparel, but something felt good about giving it to some fellow hokies.
My wife and I got a few "Go Hokies!" on our honeymoon in Germany two months ago!
Had two people in the Frankfurt airport, one random guy who barely spoke any English in Strousbourg, France, and one of our bartenders in Rudesheim apparently had family that went to tech as international students. Oh, and two of the people on our boat have a son and daughter that are both Hokies.
Was driving thru Cambridge, MD today (I work for the city) and saw VA Vt tags "SNDMN1" Thought there's no way the Prez is in town, but saw the owner standing outside. Had to stop to say hi to another Hokie!
My wife and I were chatting with a couple at Bear Republic Brewing Company in Healdsburg, CA on our honeymoon last Spring, and I had mentioned the word Blacksburg in our conversation. Another gentleman, sitting behind me at a table, got up, tapped me on the shoulder, and said "I couldn't help but overhearing your conversation about Blacksburg - I'm a Hokie!"
Turns out we graduated the same year - he was Accounting, I was Business Management. We've kept in touch ever since.
Exclusive video of the meeting:
Nothing too spectacular, because it occurred in Chesterfield, but I'm at Kroger today at the self checkout wearing a VT hat, when a 5 or 6 year old girl in the next line (on the other side of the checkout kiosk) starts yelling out "Go Hokies!"
I was just glad that someone is out there raising them right.