When I moved to Richmond VA with my grandparents who raised me. My grandfather died when I was 9, we moved when I was 10. Before he died, that was the only part of my childhood I was happy after coming from a bad situation. So I had drove by and decided to stop in. First went to the shopping center we always went to on saturday mornings and it was sad because it's so run down now. The grocery store I always loved is a Big Lots now, but funny how there are still features that jogged my memories, like the window sill I would sit on while waiting. They walled off one entrance but on the other side you can see the wear pattern from when it was a doorway. Went to the old neighborhood. Good that I have a dog so I can just be a guy walking his dog and not look like a creeper. House I lived in looks amazing though, someone really has taken care of it. All the people are different. Honestly it feels like going back to the scene of a tragedy. So many memories attached to the place but I'm the only one that knows and everything has changed yet it's the same, sort of.

TL;DR, Dear Dairy, FML.... Just sucks you can't go home. Going to try to find my grandfather's grave tomorrow morning. I stuck to my word as a kid saying I'd be back.

I know the feeling. It’s rough to look at a place that’s crumbling and remember when it was new. Knowing that it is full of memories, people, events, and feels that pretty much nobody knows about anymore. Even rougher when some of those people are gone. Not much else I can really say, other than I get it.

Fuarkk bro this hit me right in the feels not gonna lie. When I moved to Richmond VA with my grandparents who raised me. My grandfather died when I was 9, we moved when I was 10. Before he died, that was the only part of my childhood I was happy after coming from a bad situation. So I had drove by and decided to stop in. First went to the shopping center we always went to on saturday mornings and it was sad because it's so run down now. The grocery store I always loved is a Big Lots now, but funny how there are still features that jogged my memories, like the window sill I would sit on while waiting. They walled off one entrance but on the other side you can see the wear pattern from when it was a doorway. Went to the old neighborhood. Good that I have a dog so I can just be a guy walking his dog and not look like a creeper. House I lived in looks amazing though, someone really has taken care of it. All the people are different. Honestly it feels like going back to the scene of a tragedy. So many memories attached to the place but I'm the only one that knows and everything has changed yet it's the same, sort of.

TL;DR, Dear Dairy, FML.... Just sucks you can't go home. Going to try to find my grandfather's grave tomorrow morning. I stuck to my word as a kid saying I'd be back.

Since I'm doing a diary, might as well finish. So went and found my grandfather's grave. I went the night before and couldn't find it. Lucky someone worked there and was able to help find it. Going to a grave is so anti-climatic. You are heading there with the thought of "I'm going to see my grandfather (or whoever you are seeing) " and when you get there, outside of there being a plaque with his name on it, it might as well have just been a rectangle of grass in my own yard. I came wanting to say so much, but when I got there I really couldn't find much to say. It was cold and windy AF which didn't help. His marker was so plain and ordinary and forgotten looking. I wanted to clean it up but really couldn't, maybe another time. Might have a new marker made. Then my dog started digging and I had to stop her. I don't know if I'll go back again at this point. I'm glad I went.

can relate OP..I know those feels

My last girlfriend lives in your hometown, there's an awesome Menards now too.