Baylor Days

I haven’t written a blog since Scotland. I’ve sat down to write a few times, and have written a couple but I never posted them. So, here I go, for old times sake and maybe to let myself sit back and think about things for a little while. Sorry it’s a little scattered and a little long, I’ve said this about my blogs before, read part of it and come back later to finish it. J

Mom, Grandma, and Me after graduation, three generations of Baylor Bears. 

Here is my blog, dedicated to Baylor and what it was to me: memories, friendships, sleepless nights writing papers, sleepless nights with friends, challenges, road trips, new homes, regrets, letting go of regrets, laughter, hard times, goodbyes, and wondering about the future. Oh, and a lot of learning in the classroom, a lot of long papers, and the gaining of much knowledge. ;-)

 Me, Elizabeth and Nikki. Love these girls!!

It’s crazy how much can happen in a few years and how much a place can impact and shape you. I shouldn’t really be surprised. My whole life places have been changing me and permanently impacting who I am.  Almost exactly three years ago I loaded up my car and drove to Baylor University. I didn’t know what it would be like, after an ok, but not great experience my first year at DBU, I was excited about a change but worried it wouldn’t actually be that amazing. The first year did turn out to be rough, there were a few times I didn’t want to stay, but thought to myself, you cant be the girl who transferred three times…so I stuck it out. And on Saturday, almost exactly three years later, I graduated from Baylor becoming part of “that good ol’ Baylor line” ready to “fling my green and gold” throughout the world, to wherever the Lord takes me. 

 Crepes and coffee before Cole goes off to France

In May I was so ready to graduate and not very excited about spending the entire summer at Baylor, in class every single day. But as August 15 got closer I started to get a little sad about leaving, mostly because the people here at Baylor, my friends and the people I worked with, became such a big part of my life. After leaving Ecuador and moving back to the states, Baylor became my home. At Baylor, God gave me the best friends I could have ever hoped for. And now, just like leaving home after high school or anything else, I know its time to part ways, leave Baylor and the wonderful city of Waco. I think my last final exam and research paper and a few days with way too little sleep also helped me decide it was really time to graduate. Its time to see what the next adventure in store is. Leaving and starting something new is bittersweet, right now a little more bitter than sweet. I don’t know how often I’ll be back, or how often I’ll see my old Baylor friends. One thing that I’ve tried to learn over the past few years is to be thankful for the time you have with people, and for the memories made, and not to think too much about what could have been or the times that could have been spent together.

 

I have so many great memories from the past three years, too many to talk about in one blog. Even from this past summer, probably because they are fresh in my mind I have great memories. Maybe I’m easily amused, entertained, quick to find joy in little things, but that is fine with me. J Here are some little summer joys: On my birthday Richard and John baked and iced a cake for me, complete with the shape of Africa and Happy Birthday written in Swahili. The day continued with Nikki, Richard, John and I taking a swim in the Brazos River as Elizabeth kept watch from the shore. This was one of the grossest, smelliest things I have ever done, but still a lot of fun.

 Little Shop of Horrors in Fort Worth

More summer memories, I decided to start cooking again, after basically not cooking real food for the past four years. So, quite a few afternoons were spent messing around in the kitchen, and on the best of these afternoons the food would be shared with friends, usually followed by an intense game of Settlers of Cataan.

 The remains of Jonathons gutpack

This summer was full of “firsts” and “things to do before you graduate” as well. I finally went to Viteks and got a gutpack in Waco. Viteks is a little hole in the wall barbeque place where you can get something that resembles a frito pie, and would probably cause congestive heart failure if eaten more than once a year. After two years of failed attempted to float the Guadalupe, I finally had my chance. It was a great thing to do during one of the hottest summers, EVER. I think enjoyed swimming in the Guadalupe more than the actual floating in the tube…I’m sure I must have been a fish in my previous life. There were a couple more late night excursions around campus…successful excursions thanks to unlocked doors. There’s something a little mysterious and slightly enchanting about walking around campus late at night, wondering if students a hundred years ago did the same thing trying to find secret rooms or little treasures around campus.

 Independence

We went to Independence one last time, to help with Line Camp, which was a huge part of my Baylor Experience. We helped set up chairs and luminaries, climbed the columns one last time(don’t tell J)and  sang that good ol’ Baylor line as two hundred freshmen joined the Baylor family.

 

Many afternoons, but not enough, were spent sitting by the pool soaking in the sun, and enjoying probably the last summer of no real full time job or responsibilities. After two summers of orientation, line camp and welcome week, this was the perfect summer to relax, enjoy friends and make a few more Baylor memories.

 

But, speaking of memories, here are a few of my favorites from the past three years: paddling across the Brazos on a floating dock, late night excursions around campus and tree climbing, road tripping to independence to see an old friend, road tripping to New Mexico to play in the snow, a mission trip to Kenya with a group of constantly singing music majors, and late nights in the new student programs office getting ready for orientation and just those normal days of lazy afternoons with friends, avoiding the next paper to be written and test to be studied for.

 

This is just a little bit of what Baylor was to me. They say college is supposed to be the best time of your life, I hope that the best time are still ahead, but I have to say, the past few years will be hard to beat. But now, I look forward to living with an old friend from Baylor, finding a job and probably starting school again in the spring to become a nurse. Since I’ll be going new places, and meeting new people, I’ll probably try to start blogging again. And to finish this up, I’m thankful for my time at Baylor, the friends I made there, the things God taught me, the life lessons learned an the wonderful memories.