My first trip down The Avenue was dreadful, Saint Mary’s was not my first choice and I was plotting and planning on ways to transfer to another school. The only person that was excited in the car at the time was my mom saying things like, “Tay, look how beautiful the campus is” and “Oh my goodness, I can’t believe how gorgeous your dorm is”. I was honestly tuning her out because yes everything was beautiful but it was not the school I wanted to be at! Sure the trees down The Avenue were bright green and gorgeous and the sounds of the birds reminded me of the ones that helped Snow White clean the cottage. Sure the minute that we pulled around to Holy Cross Hall I felt like a princess pulling up to a castle waiting for her prince to walk out the double doors and escort her up to her new home. Sure when I unlocked the door to my dorm a golden ray of sunshine illuminated the room and showed off the intricate detailing. I mean yes Saint Mary’s felt like home but I refused to believe that it was the best choice for me.
Everyone around me was excited to be a Belle and I was already counting down the days to graduation. I considered Saint Mary’s as a rest stop on the road trip of my life and pretty soon the bus driver would say that it was time to go and I could get the heck out of dodge. Nothing flattered me and I was having the worst experience of my life; I went home every weekend and tried to find a number of excuses to stay far away from The Avenue as possible. I tried extremely hard to hate Saint Mary’s and all it had to offer but eventually I was broken and fell completely in love.
This past fall I was reminded that this trip down The Avenue was my last; the trees were green but they were dim from the sadness I was feeling and thesongs of the birds sounded like the ones at the funeral of Snow White that the 7 dwarfs had when she ate the apple. My surroundings and I knew that every time I walked or drove down The Avenue I was heading to a last of my events of my Saint Mary’s career. My last football game, my last basketball game, my last fall break, my last Christmas break, my last spring break and ultimately my last time ever after graduation. Each time I drive through campus I am reminded that I soon I will be taking my last drive and that I took the very first drive for granted!
Even though I didn’t fall in love with Saint Mary’s the first time I drove down The Avenue I did gradually get used to and eventually fall in love Saint Mary’s. I fell in love with each and every piece that it had to offer and it is hard to think about leaving those pieces behind. Saint Mary’s changed me into a strong independent and hard working woman that is not afraid to speak her mind or defend the beliefs that she has. Even though my final trip down The Avenue is coming up I know that anytime I decide to come back the trees will be the greenest that they can be, the birds will be singing the songs of Snow White, and at the end of the road there will be Holy Cross Hall welcoming home that young ungrateful princess that was transformed into a brilliant queen.