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Panama Day 5-Howard



This was the most surreal hour and a half of the whole trip. We made our way out to Howard Air Force Base (which is no longer an AFB) and found our old house. Just looking at the photos I get emotional all over again. Not that I broke down crying or anything but it was really weird standing in a place that holds so many memories. 

Here is me freaking out that we found it!!!


Our old Street! Coffey Avenue!



Exploring the old digs! 


This stairwell led up to the door in the kitchen. It was a little creepy so I just filmed from where I was. 
:-/ I don't do creepy.


Here we are in front of 60A Coffey Ave! 



  That "hill" behind my mom seemed so much bigger when we lived there. I remember my dog running down it and tripping, which led to a head over heels tumble that still makes me laugh when I think of it.
And that fence used to be a favorite spot for three toed sloths to hang out. 




While I don't remember this myself, I have heard the story enough times to giggle when I saw this. Seems my dad got up early one morning to take our dog Teddy Bear out for his walk and was tired so he sat down on that raised green manhole cover and the dog proceeded to pee on his foot. Goooood Morning! Heheheh


These stairs. Oh these stairs! These lead up to the front door of the house (don't thinkI didn't try that handle and would have TOTALLY gone in had it not been locked). I have such fond memories of sitting on these stairs with my friends eating tomatoes with salt, Fun Dip  lick'm sticks and probably mangos!  I also have one not so fond memory of accidentally flipping over that top railing and falling onto my back on the ground below, which again at 6 felt like about 12 stories. 


This was my bus stop. I waited here every morning for my bus to pick me up for school and every afternoon for my mom to come get me. I remember not being allowed to walk to our house and having to wait for her and as I stood here all these years later I realized how ridiculous that was. Our house was LITERALLY one house away!! It felt SO FAR when I was 6! I got quite a chuckle out of that! 



I love that they have redone the pool, as I saw a video of another family who had gone back and at that time it was all deserted and green and mossy.  This could literally have been the swim lessons I took here! I thought it was so cool that there were kids kicking away in the water when I asked to shoot a couple pics. Mom tells me stories of having to tread water forever while I swam cause I couldn't touch the bottom. And that diving board! The first time I jumped off of it I thought my heart would explode out of my chest with anxiety!



                          

 Just amazing to see everything and be flooded with so many memories. I cannot wait til my next trip to Florida, to pull out the old photo albums. Some might think it sad to see the house crumbling and the huge hibiscus bush gone from the front yard and the movie theater that I spent so many Saturday mornings in, torn down. But the more things change the more they stay the same. In my mind it could have been worse. It could have been torn down or covered in graffiti. But it wasn't. In many ways it was exactly the same and I felt like I was 6 all over again. There's a treasure in that.








Comments

Unknown said…
When were you at Howard afb? We lived in 59-B across from you in 1971-72 ish
- jackstevensmd@gmail.com
michelle said…
Oh my gosh Jack I apologize I never saw your comment. I think we got there in 1974. Yes, my dad was a pilot stationed at Howard. Such a small world!

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