just have been back to my old college

[shootingstar]

. . . MR.WEBB comes along Main Street, where he meets CONSTABLE WARREN. Their movements and voices are increasingly lively in the sharp air.
MR.WEBB:
Good morning, Bill.
CONSTABLE WARREN:
Good morning, Mr. Webb. You're up early.
MR.WEBB:
Yes, just been back to my old college in New York State. Been any trouble here?
CONSTABLE WARREN:
Well, I was called up this mornin' to rescue a Polish fella - darn near froze to death he was.
. . .
(Thornton Wilder, Our Town, Act III)

I don't really understand this sentence. What does back and to mean there? Does he say he is just coming back from his college or does he say he has paid
a visit to his college again? What is the meaning of just there?

 

[SoothingDave]

He recently returned from a visit to his old college. He was just there. It's "back" there because he had been to the college before (obviously, he went there, because it's his "old college").

 

[probus]

"Just" there means in the very immediate past. Five minutes ago he had not got back but now he has.

 

[shootingstar]

I still don't understand it fully, I'm afraid.
1) Does he say "I have just been back from the journey/trip to my old college"? Is "from my journey/trip" implied in the original sentence "Yes, just been back (from my journey/trip) to my old college in New York State"?. In this case I would like to say "back from" - "Yes, just been back from my college in New York State" - like in the sentence "Dr. Smith is back from Spain". What defies me is the phrase "back to" there.

2) Or does he say "I have just paid a visit to my old college in New York State again"?

 

[5jj]

Simplify the idea;
I have just been to my old college - I have just been to and come back from ... .
I have just been back to my old college - I have just returned to and come back from ... .

 

[jutfrank]

If you consider been to be the past participle of 'go', does that help you understand? You go to a place.

If the sentence were in the past simple instead of the present perfect, it would be:

Yes, I went back to my old college in New York State.

 

[shootingstar]

If you consider been to be the past participle of 'go', does that help you understand? You go to a place.

If the sentence were in the past simple instead of the present perfect, it would be:

Yes, I went back to my old college in New York State.

Yes, thank you, that helps. That's the way I can understand this sentence - in other words he says "I have (just) paid a visit to my old college in New York State", right?

 

[probus]

100% correct.