the wonderful world of veena.

08 October 2014

veen on the road: revisiting my baylor glory days.

One of the many reasons I love Chattanooga so much, in addition to the beautiful scenery, the awesome vibe, and the proximity to so many fun outdoor activities, is my love for my alma mater, Baylor School.

Baylor sits right on the banks of the Tennessee River and is, in my most humble opinion, the most beautiful school in the world [Rhodes is a very close second]. The red brick buildings, the hills and the chapel stairs, the quad, the lower fields, Baylor Lake...I love it all, and I still cannot believe I was lucky enough to get to go there for my final two years of high school.

[the view from the patio outside the library. can't beat that view]
Deciding to leave DeSoto and my friends in Helena to attend Baylor was an extremely difficult decision, but ultimately it was the right one for me. Baylor fostered an environment to help me succeed as a student, for me to get involved with service and leadership, and for me to develop the skills I needed to be successful at Rhodes and beyond. I made some great friends there, I joined as many clubs as I could, and I became a leader within my dorm, in the Community Service program, and on campus as a whole. In a lot of ways, I found my teenage niche, and I continue to remember my Baylor days with great fondness.

Whenever I am back in Chattanooga, be it for 2 days or an entire week, I love returning to roam the campus and rewalk some of the halls. My beloved dorm, Trustee Hall, is sadly no longer a dorm and is actually slated for demolition, but to my surprise and delight it was still standing on my recent visit. I lived in Trustee for both my years at Baylor, and I loved it. There were certainly tense moments, but it really did become home for me in those two years, and I still keep in touch with many of my dormmates to this day.

[sweet home trustee hall]
I know how cheesy it sounds, but Baylor really does hold a kind of magic for me. I grew a lot during my time there, and I learned a lot about myself. Stepping foot back on campus always takes me back to being 15 years old and entering campus for the first time, and no matter how long it is or how old I get, that feeling never diminishes.

In many ways, Baylor will always be home for me.
xx

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