We arrived in Blacksburg later to a chilly July evening. The kids swam in the pool but it was so cold it was a short swim! On the way into town we drove by 465 Silver Leaf our old house, Quinn's first home. The kids were nonplussed about it but it looked the same except 6 more years of tree growth. We also witnessed the growth in little Christiansburg -- big time now, they even have a Best Buy and Dick's! Still though a lot of the same businesses were there but it's like a whole big commerical center sprouted around them.After a good night's sleep at the Hampton (the hotel we stayed in on our last night there before moving to Tucson, talk about coming full circle!), we ventured down to Blacksburg. We took a quick drive around campus, all the while me exclaiming at the changes before my eyes. Lots more growth there too, more campus buildings etc. Next stop was at our old favorite coffee shop in the University Mall, which is still there thankfully. All through and outside the mall, they now have decorated Hokie birds. I had to take the kids picture in front of this one made out of Legos, Quinn just thought it was so cool since he loves Legos.
Next we drove back to campus and for the first time, I had to get a visitor parking pass. We parked by the Coliseum and decided to go into the Merryman Center first since I had never actually been inside. So in we walked and the past hit me in the face -- the lady at the front desk used to be a secretary in Civil Engineering! She remembered me and we spent some time reminiscing and catching up, and she gave the kiddos some basketball and football posters to take home as souvenirs when we left :) Then it was time for the walk across campus to James' old building and office. The kids played on the Drill Field, the very same place that Quinn used to run around when he was just a tot. 
On the drill field with Burruss in the background...
Here are James and the kids in front of Burruss. After this picture we took time to look at the April 16th memorial and absorb the loss of those bright lives. Quinn placed 4 rocks on the plaque to show our presence and acknowledge the loss as others had. It was a somber place, but very well done and it was nice to still hear the students playing sports on the drill field in the background. The lives were lost, it was a tragedy but life goes on. I am so glad that I finally got to see it in person!
Then we walked over to War Memorial, here are James and the kids on top. See if you can spot Keely, she looks so tiny...
Keely took this picture (obviously) of us in front of Torgerson Hall.
And not to be outdone, Quinn took one too. I like both pictures :)
We finished up campus with a trip to the bookstore and then had lunch at an old favorite, Macado's. I can honestly say that is the one thing about Blacksburg that hasn't changed a bit :)So that was our trip to Blacksburg. It was a little rushed, but I got to see everything I wanted to in the short time. We took the trip down memory lane and I can honestly say that any romantic reminiscence of it is gone. I hadn't been back in almost 6 years and I still had this longing to move back and raise the kids there. But as Thomas Wolfe says, "You can never go home again" and I believe this is the truth. It isn't the same place as when we were there and there's nothing unique about living there. At least in Utah, people know me by my car and it's VT theme. In Blacksburg, everyone has a VT theme. It's hard to explain but I'm glad we got to go back and see it again so now I can recognize that it was nice to live there for 5 years but I am glad to have seen the rest of the country and live other places. James had a chance for a job there last year, a decision that was made for him and thank goodness. Had he gotten it, we might have jumped and I don't think it would have been the best decision. It would have been made on the past, and that never lives up to expectations in the present. Okay, that was a dissertation.
We departed Blacksburg after lunch en route to the Nation's Capitol.
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