When my dad mentioned that he wanted to take a spur-of-the-moment trip back to our old stomping grounds in Prince George’s County, Maryland, we were all for it!

The last time I had been in the area was in 2020 during the pandemic, when I visited friends. Before that, my dad, Mama, sister, and I made a quick trip in 2018 when my sister was pregnant with my niece.

This trip felt different. It would be the first time we traveled there together as a family with my niece…and it would also be our first trip back without Mama. It was a gentle reminder that grief has room for more than just sadness. It can exist alongside happiness, excitement, and moments of gratitude.

I was so caught up in the moment that I didn’t take many pictures, so I’ll give a warning now: this post is less of a traditional travel guide and more of a nostalgic reflection on returning to a place that shaped me.

The Drive

Growing up, we made countless trips up and down I-95 between Maryland, North Carolina, and South Carolina to visit family. The drive itself became part of my childhood. As we got closer to the Virginia border, many of the sights I used to see from the backseat window were still there. Some things looked exactly how I remembered them, while other areas had completely changed. There were new gas stations, new exits, and developments I didn’t recognize.

One of my favorite parts of the drive was listening to my dad tell stories from when I was younger. He reminded me about the gas stations and hotels we would stop at, where I’d cry endlessly as a baby. He also pointed out certain exits we used to take to get to other destinations as we drove back up north.

Since we were traveling during a holiday weekend, we knew we had entered the Washington, D.C. area once we hit traffic, even around midnight, because of construction. As we crossed the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, seeing the Washington Monument and the Capitol building glowing in the night sky brought back memories of all the times we passed through the area on our way home years ago.

Our Old Neighborhood

We stayed at a hotel less than five minutes from our old home. As soon as we got off the exit, pieces of my childhood started coming back. The area looked both familiar and completely different. Streets had been renamed. Entire shopping centers and hotels had been added. Areas that were once filled with forests had new developments, roundabouts, and businesses.

I couldn’t help but think about how much Mama would have loved having more places to shop located closer to our home. Seeing those changes made me realize how much the area had transformed and how much life itself had changed.

Of course, there were still familiar places. The park, certain restaurants, the library, and many homes were still there. We drove by the mall we frequented growing up. Although we didn’t have time to go inside, the outside looked almost exactly the same, with only a few changes. There was also an Applebee’s in that same shopping area that we visited almost every Sunday. We originally planned to eat there for nostalgia’s sake, but decided to try somewhere new instead. The everyday hustle and bustle compared to where we moved to in North Carolina was a quiet reminder of what I grew up around.

My niece had so many questions about our old life, and it was fun sharing stories about who we were before she was born.

Our Previous Home

Every time we have returned to Maryland since moving away, we make it a point to visit our old neighborhood and the home where we spent so many years.

We lived in a cul-de-sac, and although many of our neighbors have moved away, two families are still there. Our neighbors who lived directly beside us were home, and we were able to sit with them for over an hour catching up, laughing, and reminiscing about old times.

They shared updates about the neighborhood, and I have to admit—I loved hearing all the neighborhood stories and catching up on the latest “drama.” Some things never change.

The current owner of our old house was home and graciously let us inside. She has always been kind about letting us walk through and reminisce. The house looks completely different now, but there were still moments where I could picture my childhood self in certain rooms and corners of the home.

I’ll be honest…it felt strange being there without Mama. There was an emptiness knowing she wasn’t walking through those rooms with us, but I also felt her presence and connected to the memories we created there as a family. I was only 13 years old when we moved away, and I often wonder what life would have looked like if we had stayed.

Near the end of our old neighborhood, there is now a walking trail that leads to a park. It wasn’t there when we lived there, but I learned that it connects to a park Mama used to take us to occasionally. I didn’t have time to explore it during this trip, but I would love to return someday and literally take a walk down memory lane.

Exploring Washington, D.C.

One of the most interesting parts of this trip was realizing that although I grew up in the DMV area, I had never truly explored Washington, D.C. as an adult. Again, I was 13 years old when we moved away, and when we returned to the area, we stayed in Maryland and only went to DC to go to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

I met up with a friend, and as we made plans to meet in DC, it hit me: I had spent my childhood living less than 30 minutes from the White House, but I had never experienced the city from an adult perspective. Riding a scooter near the Navy Yard area, casually passing historic buildings/landmarks, gave me a completely different perspective. People always say that when you live near major tourist attractions, you often don’t take advantage of them. I was left to wonder if I’d be as adventurous and would know how to navigate the streets of DC had we lived in the area longer. I had a sense of not wanting to leave and to spend more time wandering around.

Final Thoughts

Our 24-hour trip to Maryland reminded me that returning to a place from your past can bring up so many emotions.

There was nostalgia. There was grief. There was gratitude. But most importantly, there was appreciation. I’m grateful for the childhood my parents created for my sister and me. I’m grateful for the memories we made in Maryland, and I’m grateful for the life and opportunities my parents provided when they made the decision to move us to North Carolina.

It was a perfect 24-hour trip of nostalgia in a place I used to call home.