If reminders of your past are troubling, then it could be that you have some unfinished business to take care of. I'm not sure if this is the sort of thing that would be better addressed with more diligent work with the steps or if it should be addressed with a counselor. In any event it seems that there is something troubling about your past which you are currently dealing with through avoidance. This might 'work' in the short term, but I'm skeptical that it is the best way to deal with it in the long run.
There is a freedom inherent to resolving these sorts of things.