It’s interesting when you move far from where you grew up, and then go back to visit years later. When you do, the place is both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.
I spent most of my childhood several hours from where I live now. I sometimes go back to that area. In the almost 20 years since I’ve lived there, there have been many changes. Some parts look basically the same as I remember, but some parts are completely different. What I found to be most interesting was driving through my old neighborhood, and looking at the house where I spent about 15 years of my life. I wish I could see it on the inside, but for now, I have to be satisfied just to see the outside.
One thing I like to do when I go back is to buy some foods that I ate as a child that aren’t available around here. Most of them aren’t exactly nutritious, but they are tasty, and bring back memories.
I recently heard about a store that is still there, named Unkel Joe’s Woodshed. My dad took me to it many times when I was little, and I had forgotten about it. I think I might have to go there on my next trip.
Someone recently let me know about a Facebook page that features photos from the city where I spent the majority of my childhood. It’s been very interesting to see those pictures. Some of them are even older than I am, so I had the opportunity to see what it looked like even before what I remember. It’s also interesting to see how my memories compare to the actual photos. I also hope to find some photos I took in the past. If I do, I plan to scan them and share them with others.
Some people live in the same area their entire lives, and some move all over the place. I’ve only ever lived in a few different places. I sometimes wonder if I’ll end up moving anywhere new in the future. No plans right now, but you never know.
I also wonder if my children will stay in this area once they’re older, or if they’ll move somewhere else. If so, I wonder what they’ll miss about being in this area. If I end up leaving the area, I wonder what I’d miss. I guess it depends on how far I would go, and what they have there. I can’t imagine living anywhere else other than Pennsylvania, though, since that’s where I’ve been since I was a toddler. I would like to travel a bit more, though!
I wonder what makes some people settle in one place, and others become more nomadic?
