As the church bells declared the busiest time of day, noon, the residents of Harrisonburg, Virginia, are downtown spending their Tuesday afternoon shopping while simply enjoying the sunny weather. From parents to children to yapping dogs, everyone was admiring the numerous stands of fresh goods and treats.
Maddie Blandford, a 22-year-old senior at James Madison University, said she attended the Harrisonburg Farmers Market to enjoy the scenery and watch her boyfriend sing and play guitar to provide entertainment and music for the crowd.
Blanford said she believes her family and friends would describe her as “quiet, creative, and occasionally kind.”
Blanford said her last visit to the farmers market was a thriving atmosphere and full of life.
Blandford, who’s originally from Lorton, Virginia, is majoring in hospitality management while simultaneously searching for an internship.
Blandford said one of the liabilities of living in Harrisonburg is that it’s exceptionally challenging to find internships within hospitality management. This shows the amount of dedication Blandford puts into her work.
Blanford prides herself in her honest intent of helping others.
“Sometimes acts of service are done by people insincerely due to guilt or reward,” Blandford said.
Blandford said she believes “the ultimate reward is the satisfaction from the people she benefits.”
Blanford said she was drawn to hospitality management because of her passion for customer service and helping others.
Blandford said her favorite thing about Harrisonburg, a city in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley with a population of 51,430, is the downtown area and she thinks it’s “really pretty.”
Blanford said she enjoys experiencing new circumstances and doesn’t back down from trying things she’s never done.
“Things can get boring, it’s nice to switch it up and have new experiences,” Blanford said. “It’s a gigantic world and there are new specialties everywhere.”
Blanford’s said she believes that her optimistic morals will take her a long way and will bring her many sensations, Blandford explained her buoyant standpoint on life.
“Life is really hard and there may be horrible things out in the world, but there’s also a lot of beautiful things and it’s important to see that as well,” Blandford said.