I wish you had shown more of Tech campus but thanks for the memory and showing how much it’s changed since I graduated in 1999. Best 5 years of my life!
Thank you James for this tour. I studied at VPI and lived in Blacksburg in 1972-73. I think I recognized the place where a sub shop called Choosie Mothers was located, at the crossing of Main & College Streets, it was owned by Bruce Thompson. I worked there along with several friends who also studied at VPI and were from Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Spain, and, of course, the USA. We all had a great time there and have fond memories of the town. Looks quite different now, but really good.
Good ol' Blacksburg! That place used to depress the hell out of me when I was a young man. I wanted to go to college in the worst way, but we were far too poor and my grades weren't quite good enough for a scholarship. So when I'd go up to visit my nephew and niece who were attending VT it would depress the crap out of me (I was about the same age as my oldest nephew and niece since my oldest brother--their dad--was 21 when I was born). College towns tend to give me this very positive vibe and I so much wanted to be a part of it. Instead I was beginning my lifetime of working class drudgery (now happily over since I retired). It was weird to feel all of that youthful positive energy, and yet become so totally depressed over it. So it goes. It remains a pretty town. We go there from time to time when we're hiking or backpacking in that area.
Ou man, I condolence your heavy youth pass. Your story sounds like you have wasted your first half of life, but you know if you lived in Russia like me you waste all your life. Because you at least can move, can leave for another place if this town associates with bad memories to you. You at least can change something. But in Russia people can not do anything because no matter what they do, no matter what they change, everything will be the same. The very same people, the very same events, the very same stagnation, anti civilization tendencies and lack of future. So value your country man, it is a real request)))
