Thursday, August 14, 2008

118B

Sometimes, not extremely often but once in a while, I start to miss something I wish I still had, or perhaps, something I wish I was still a part of. 118B is the Blacksburg exit off of I-81 in southern Virginia and for whatever reason, I never feel more at home than the moment I see that big green sign with 'Virginia Tech This Exit' written on it. Something about Blacksburg just feels right to me. I can honestly tell anyone that have no regrets in my lifetime. Except one. I spent two years in Blacksburg and leaving that town was a mistake. One that I wish I could take back. The people that I met there were some of the best. So was the riding. Blacksburg is home to thousands of people but somehow it always felt like it was my own secret place. In a way I guess it kinda was. I did a lot of exploring on my own and I found a lot of cool things. I was really proud of the place.

Its been almost two years since I've lived in Blacksburg and the reason for coming back north still escapes me. In retrospect it was a rash decision coupled with a short time when I was down about a lot of things. I guess I didn't know what I had until I gave it up. I still talk to my freshman year roommate, Bryan, although not as often as I should and I still get the cycling team emails everyday about who needs to borrow a fixed gear hub or who forgot their arm warmers after the Race Ride which still kinda makes me feel like I'm still in the loop. But I know I'm not really, not totally.
I would love to go back someday but I think that all the people I've come to know will have left. I don't think it would be the same. I just wish I could rewind back to those days. A bit depressing I suppose but I couldn't sleep until I wrote about it. I will say, however, living with this guy for a year should be awesome.

3 comments:

Lester said...

Couldn't have wrote it better myself. Nothing like some mid-winter rides around the drill field and getting stopped by the campus police for popping wheelies...

Steven Gordon said...

Dude, I'm thinking the same thing having just graduated. We'll end up back down there someday for sure though.

John C. Webb said...

Some of us are still around... You all have a place to stay anytime!

JC Webb