Woman Stunned After Finding Her Deceased Grandfather On Google Maps Years After His Death
Google Maps is a convenient tool to look up and find routes to various locations.
Unbeknownst to the unsuspecting user, it can also be a time capsule.
One woman browsed the web mapping service and was led to a destination she never saw coming: A trip back in time.
A Twitter user named Yajaira said she never got to say goodbye to her grandfather when he passed away a few years ago.
But thanks to the magic of Google's street view photography, she was able to see an image of him when he was still very much alive.
She shared a clip of her virtual navigation through a Google street view of a farm in Mexico that belonged to her grandfather.
There was grandpa, in plain view, sitting on a chair outside his farm.
Her poignant video post went viral – currently at 447K likes – after tugging on the heartstrings of thousands of social media users.
It also prompted others who made similar discoveries of their late loved ones immortalized on Google Maps.
@yajairalyb Omg same thing with my nana!! It’s gonna be 3 years since she passed 💗 https://t.co/3Igo77fczM— IRI (@IRI) 1578510635
@Buenrostrohhh @yajairalyb my grandma passed away in 2014❤️ found this and it made my day. she was my rock🌹 https://t.co/qrj3R1CXqk— jen (@jen) 1578538438
@yajairalyb same as my buddy lucky, rip :( https://t.co/GtDWqcaL4d— liz (@liz) 1578518072
Here is the image from Dre Day's above tweet.
@mermaidbissshh/Twitter
@mermaidsbisshh @yajairalyb @grizzziii_ Something about the fact that he’s waving has me sobbing— void lars (@void lars) 1578531467
@yajairalyb Same with my Grandpa, it’s gonna be 3 years since his passing. This is him walking towards his daughter… https://t.co/9QtKnJtlRF— Brayan Cuin - Tinoco (@Brayan Cuin - Tinoco) 1578514115
And here is the screenshot from Brayan Cuin's tweet of his grandpa when he was still alive.
@brayan_cuin_/Twitter
The viral post inspired others to search for and be reunited with their late family members.
@yajairalyb Because if this thread I found my dad... it’s been almost 4 years. 😭😭😭 I never knew. Thank you https://t.co/KaxTMaqXg2— Paula (@Paula) 1578534595
This is the screenshot from Paula's tweet of her late father.
@yajairalyb Same with my grandma 😢almost 5 years since she passed https://t.co/XnxXeFcot2— Vλ₦E$$λ🇲🇽 (@Vλ₦E$$λ🇲🇽) 1578517264
This is Vanessa's screenshot.
@v_salazar24/Twitter
Here is Jordan's screenshot of her late grandma.
@sojordann_/Twitter
Even those who tragically passed were found in this street-view image.
@yajairalyb My dad who died in March from Brain Cancer and my Nephew who took his life in November at the age of 14. https://t.co/27pO8g4DlW— James Burke (@James Burke) 1578890408
@yajairalyb I did the same thing a few months ago, my mother hasn’t seen our grandpa since I was 3 years old, he re… https://t.co/FYfMoXPOlb— Quintana (@Quintana) 1578520959
The Google Maps Twitter account gave an emotional response after being overwhelmed by the sentimental thread.
@yajairalyb Our tissue box is officially empty. Thank you for sharing this. 💙— Google Maps (@Google Maps) 1578598164
Pets were no exception from being featured through the internet time capsule.
@yajairalyb same as my buddy lucky, rip :( https://t.co/GtDWqcaL4d— liz (@liz) 1578518072
@HangryAF/Twitter
@Thomas_Wayman/Twitter
Yajaira told TIME about her surprise reunion and the resulting viral status of her post.
"I felt chills and I couldn't help but to cry."
"I shared it with my family once I realized the tweet was getting so much attention. I wanted to wait, but I decided to send it them before they saw it somewhere else."
Google Maps' street view photography is captured courtesy of a fleet of drivers whisking through cities around the world in vehicles mounted with cameras.
Each car is equipped with 15 cameras enabling 360-degree view shots at a height of 8.2 feet.
There is something poetic about a grandfather watching a passing vehicle having a role in posthumously connecting him to the future.
"He was so old and I am sure he was confused with the car and what was on top it of. He was probably wondering what was going on."
According to Techwalla, the satellite data information on Google Maps is between 1 to 3 years old and it is hard to predict when the maps and images will be updated.
However, even after they disappear, Google does archive old images and they can be accessed through the Google Maps Website.
If you are one of the lucky few who stumbles upon an image of a loved one on who has passed, take a screenshot of your beautiful reunion.
The book Never Lost Again: The Google Mapping Revolution That Sparked New Industries and Augmented Our Reality is available here.
Who knew blue mascara could be so beautiful?
YouTuber @alissa_ashleyy took some macro shots of her blue mascara––and the photos were pretty stellar.
She says she "spent 20 minutes" taking these images using a macro lens.
I’m so bored, I just spent 20 minutes taking photos of my blue mascara wand with my macro lens 😂😂 https://t.co/ydOyuJfRc9— Alissa Ashley (@Alissa Ashley) 1552269877.0
I’ve even considered doing a “macro Monday’s” on my photography page but I don’t wanna creep people out 😂😂 low key gonna do it anyway— Alissa Ashley (@Alissa Ashley) 1552269955.0
Im embarrassed to admit but I do this often 💀 I just love macro shots— Alissa Ashley (@Alissa Ashley) 1552269909.0
Here are the pics by themselves:
@alissa_ashleyyy/Twitter
@alissa_ashleyyy/Twitter
Others are also big fans of their macro lenses:
@alissa_ashleyy Same but pottery - here’s raw glaze on the bottom of a bowl about to be fired #glazescape https://t.co/HpUwLG18ll— mattresstagging (@mattresstagging) 1552311436.0
@alissa_ashleyy yesssss! i love my macro lens. https://t.co/nTYVjXkYHz— BONNIE | SO WHAT? (@BONNIE | SO WHAT?) 1552340462.0
And it looks like the YouTuber has found some new fans:
@alissa_ashleyy I wanna see more macro shots!!! This is beautiful— syd’s side ting (@syd’s side ting) 1552269968.0
@alissa_ashleyy I would buy that print on a canvas.— chey (@chey) 1552275407.0
@alissa_ashleyy Macros were always my favorites to shoot too, something about that close up definition 😍— whatever (@whatever) 1552271376.0
Are you also a burgeoning fan of macro photography?
There are plenty of social media accounts out there which should pique your interest, like this one:
And this one:
And this one:
Go wild!
Wilfred Warrior Is The Crazy-Looking Cat The Internet Can't Help Falling In Love With
As strange as it may sound, pet lovers know there is nothing cuter than an animal that looks absolutely disgusting and/or terrifying.
For proof, look no further than Wilfred Warrior.
Wilfred W. is the Chinchilla Persian cat who's taken the internet by storm following his appearance in a viral video.
You may already recognize him!
The video, which has been shared all over the internet and contains an unseen voice fearfully making fun of Wilfred's appearance, is actually a dubbed version of the much-more-soothing original video.
That original video was posted to Wilfred's own Instagram account.
When viewed outside the context of the original video, Wilfred's Instagram is filled with many adorable shots of the crooked-toothed feline.
It turns out Wilfred loves going to "the bottom of the garden" even though he "knows that he is not allowed to go to the bottom of the garden."
Wilfred's just a chill little gremlin who likes to hang out.
When the sun hits him just right, Wilfred is truly majestic.
He even has a sense of humor about himself, posing next to a couple lookalikes!
All in all, you'd be hard pressed to find a better cat than Wilfred Warrior.
Twitter loves Wilfred Warrior, plain and simple.
Somehow I didn't realize the weird cat in that video is Wilfred Warrior, aka the cutest cat ever. Dude stole the vi… https://t.co/QUKNA8GG0k— Sensorium139 (@Sensorium139) 1542067346.0
I love this cat #wilfredwarrior https://t.co/Q3lM3Luku2— Ruth (@Ruth) 1542141489.0
@HPSKate @wilfred_warrior Omg he's doing his best— stephanie 🍁 (@stephanie 🍁) 1542062370.0
Wilfred is just living his best life, snaggletooth and all!
@wilfred_warrior is amazing.— Beatrix Blotto (@Beatrix Blotto) 1542124652.0
@NinjitsuPrincss Oh gosh mom, I dunno. All I have is love and this ugly cat named Wilfred Warrior. https://t.co/etS9Tn7iSe— Ms Butterball Natural (@Ms Butterball Natural) 1542147080.0
He's won the hearts of millions.
i love you wilfred warrior— 🌸🍑🍰 ...phi time (@🌸🍑🍰 ...phi time) 1542112013.0
@JacquiGeeGee @walegates Aw @wilfred_warrior warrior is a lover not a fighter.— samslackey (@samslackey) 1542094539.0
Hopefully, Wilfred's face will be remembered for all time.
Was gonna draw something serious and then decided to draw Wilfred Warrior #cat #persiancat #funnycat #digitalart https://t.co/ZkhZSknOX2— Anastasia Goldyn (@Anastasia Goldyn) 1542298704.0
<i followed wilfredwarrior the cat on ig and im https://t.co/VxnZ2j9Ni2— tin (@tin) 1542258133.0
Thank you for just being you, Wilfred Warrior!
We can't wait to see what you do next.
If you're a cat lover, you probably already know that Maine Coons are considered one of the most impressive cat breeds out there. They're big, they're fluffy, they aren't afraid of water, and they look a little bit like what we imagine a majestic tundra lion would look like. Or maybe like a viking battle cat? Some look oddly like Ron Perlman, but that's a whole other article.
Lotus the Maine Coon lives his life with a few other maine coons and at least one human with opposable thumbs and internet access. We know that last part because he has an Instagram account - an account with almost 70 thousand followers. People love to look at him, and it's easy to see why.
First of all, a lot of the pictures give you an idea of just how BIG these cats can get.
One fluffy enormous cat is great, but like we said before, Lotus doesn't live alone. There are three other majestic fuzzbuckets to behold. Lotus likes to give shout outs to the rest of the squad.
Mozart is gorgeous and playful.
Chivas the ginger cat is WERKING that snaggletooth.
And Lady Marion is the fluffy black panthress we never knew we needed.
Together with Lotus, they turn out some of the most stunning cat photos ever to grace Instagram. Are you ready for all of this majesty? You're not ready, but here we go anyway.
It's not all about grace and beauty, though. Sometimes, ya just gotta derp it out.
Go on over and check out their Instagram for more. You know you want to. They're waiting.
H/T: Bored Panda, Instagram