My love for abandoned houses

As a stay-at-home mom / caregiver, I sometimes feel a little sheltered from the rest of the world. Being stuck in a houseful of kids averaging the age of 3, I like to try to mentally escape the daily activity of diapers and cartoons. During the kid's quiet-time the internet allows me to do so. It's an amazing thing. I can basically travel the world without leaving my kitchen. Obviously it's nowhere near actually experiencing the world for yourself, but it's the best this small-town mother of 4, who is terrified of flying, is going to get.

I recently had a conversation with a friend about abandoned houses, which I find fascinating. I often drive by old farm houses that are falling apart, and in need of some critical landscaping, and I'm immediately intrigued by their stories. So I spent some time googling around to see what I could stumble upon. I found pictures, articles, and stories all about houses and buildings that the owners had left and never returned to them. Some houses I came across still had the tables set for meals, and the beds made. Now that's me. If I ever have to leave for more than a day you better believe my house will be tidy and the beds made (just incase). I want to know who lived in those houses, and where did they go? What made them leave in such a hurry? I was fascinated at the houses that stood today, basically, in a time warp. I love antique home furnishings, dishware, and decor. It was so neat to catch a glimpse of someone's life so long ago.

Photographer Niki Feijen's pictures circulated on Facebook not too long ago and amazed me! He took pictures of abandoned farm houses and decaying buildings. Here are a few:

Someone left without their shoes and coat, seriously what happened here?

This table is still set for tea, amazing.

 The rest of his work can be viewed here .



 After searching around it led me to an even more fascinating topic, abandoned cities! Could it get any better? A whole city deserted, left to the elements and animals, and some areas practically left completely in tact as the day it was abandoned.
The Ukrainian town of Pripyat has always fascinated me, so it didn't surprise me that it made the list of the world's 10 creepiest abandoned cities. Obviously the story behind the evacuation is well known, but the pictures still make it hard to believe an entire city can be so desolate and quiet.

Many of the cities I came across were old gold rush ghost towns. They were just as fascinating because some have been preserved since the 19th century. With real live saloons still in tact, decorated just like in the movies, and houses with oil lamps and wash basins.

These places are just so amazing that I had to share them. Perhaps it will inspire others to explore some of these places as well. Someday I'd love to go on an actual abandoned house/city tour, and personally catch a glimpse of these historic structures for myself.

If you have any abandoned homes to share with me, I'd love to see them!