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Day 2 of 30
This past weekend, I took a drive around my hometown. I haven't been a resident of that city for 5 years now but I still know how to get around the back roads and shortcuts I learned when I was 16 and learning to navigate the roads on my own. This town is forever a part of who I am, how I was raised, and while I constantly gripe about how "bad" my hometown is (it's had its ups and downs), it's still my hometown.
I spent 23 years living in this city. I went through 12 year of school there, I came home on college breaks. This city has become a part of my DNA, and while I no longer live there, I still visit from time to time.
I started my schooling at the high school, in the Rangerland preschool. I finished my schooling in that same high school, just a different capacity. The in between years, however, were spent at 2 different schools. Growing up at the Central Elementary School was an experience not many people can say they had. We were a tight knit family, always spending time together after school (especially if we lived in the same neighborhood/area!).
When word came down that they were closing the school, there was a bit of sadness that came over the school. We had another year left (those of us in 4th grade had one year left until we moved up to one of the bigger grammar schools) and weren't ready to be split into new grammar schools. Thankfully, we had another year before they officially closed the doors. (this building is now the central administration building for the city schools)
Once we got to the brand new schools, we were in awe. These schools were so clean, and new. Central Elementary was anything but new. It's an old building, there were minimal updates when I was there. I would LOVE to see what it looks like now.
Anyway - I was one of the luckiest students because the group of us that were reassigned to the Tenney Grammar School were going to a BRAND new building. It was always so bright inside, with the very white walls. There was a new slew of technology we hadn't seen yet, a brand new auditorium, a brand new gym, and a nice new cafeteria. At the Central, all three of these were combined into the gym. Super exciting to see all 3 separated.
I was at the Tenney in 2001. I remember everything that happened on September 11 that year, and it is something that still brings tears to my eyes. I was in 7th grade. I will never forget, as long as I live, what happened that day and how the school handled it. My heart is still broken.
Having rallied as a community so terribly effected by the events of that day, we were forever changed. Moving on to the high school after 3 years at a brand new grammar school felt like a family reunion. We had gone a year or two without seeing some friends who were ahead of us in school - and now we were reunited! High school was going to be the greatest ever, I knew it.
And for the most part, it was. Walking in as a freshman, I had the upper hand being in a new school thanks to my band family. Being a part of the marching band may not have been glorious at times, but MAN was it fun. I walked into high school as a freshman, having met 100 people ranging in age from 14 to 18, who were going to look out for me, and vice versa. How EXCITING?!
I loved the rigorous schedule we kept from August to Thanksgiving, and the random smattering of Christmas parades. Somehow, for 2 years, I managed a crazy band rehearsal/performance schedule AND a love for volleyball. I switched my junior year and decided to just do band in the fall and join the indoor track team in the winter. I was always so busy, and involved in something, I was never bored, and I made some incredible memories with some great friends.
The topic of this post was "what do you love most about your hometown?" Clearly the education aspect was huge for me, but mostly because I never felt like I was alone as a student. I had amazing teachers who challenged me and helped me grow, an incredible group of friends that pushed me to be my best self, and so many memories to go along with both. Being a part of the marching band was HUGE for me - I was a part of something so amazing, so well respected (at the time), that I felt like I was doing something good for the community. I miss that.
In the last 3 years, I have voluntarily driven past my old house to see what they've done with it. How the neighborhood has changed. Change is always a hard pill to swallow, no matter who you are. Not being able to drive 25 minutes to see my parents has weighed heavily on me lately. Having them so close, and celebrating traditions with them was something I took for granted when they lived up here. It's not easy being 800+ miles away from your parents when the relationship is as close as mine is with my parents, but we make it work. Thank God for technology.
Methuen will always hold a special place in my heart. It will always be my hometown, the place I was born and raised to be the best version of me. It will always feel like home (even with all the changes lately - i.e. the rotary.. UGH), regardless of how far away I am. I know that city inside out and backwards, and it will always be a part of me.
I started my schooling at the high school, in the Rangerland preschool. I finished my schooling in that same high school, just a different capacity. The in between years, however, were spent at 2 different schools. Growing up at the Central Elementary School was an experience not many people can say they had. We were a tight knit family, always spending time together after school (especially if we lived in the same neighborhood/area!).
When word came down that they were closing the school, there was a bit of sadness that came over the school. We had another year left (those of us in 4th grade had one year left until we moved up to one of the bigger grammar schools) and weren't ready to be split into new grammar schools. Thankfully, we had another year before they officially closed the doors. (this building is now the central administration building for the city schools)
Once we got to the brand new schools, we were in awe. These schools were so clean, and new. Central Elementary was anything but new. It's an old building, there were minimal updates when I was there. I would LOVE to see what it looks like now.
Anyway - I was one of the luckiest students because the group of us that were reassigned to the Tenney Grammar School were going to a BRAND new building. It was always so bright inside, with the very white walls. There was a new slew of technology we hadn't seen yet, a brand new auditorium, a brand new gym, and a nice new cafeteria. At the Central, all three of these were combined into the gym. Super exciting to see all 3 separated.
I was at the Tenney in 2001. I remember everything that happened on September 11 that year, and it is something that still brings tears to my eyes. I was in 7th grade. I will never forget, as long as I live, what happened that day and how the school handled it. My heart is still broken.
Having rallied as a community so terribly effected by the events of that day, we were forever changed. Moving on to the high school after 3 years at a brand new grammar school felt like a family reunion. We had gone a year or two without seeing some friends who were ahead of us in school - and now we were reunited! High school was going to be the greatest ever, I knew it.
And for the most part, it was. Walking in as a freshman, I had the upper hand being in a new school thanks to my band family. Being a part of the marching band may not have been glorious at times, but MAN was it fun. I walked into high school as a freshman, having met 100 people ranging in age from 14 to 18, who were going to look out for me, and vice versa. How EXCITING?!
I loved the rigorous schedule we kept from August to Thanksgiving, and the random smattering of Christmas parades. Somehow, for 2 years, I managed a crazy band rehearsal/performance schedule AND a love for volleyball. I switched my junior year and decided to just do band in the fall and join the indoor track team in the winter. I was always so busy, and involved in something, I was never bored, and I made some incredible memories with some great friends.
The topic of this post was "what do you love most about your hometown?" Clearly the education aspect was huge for me, but mostly because I never felt like I was alone as a student. I had amazing teachers who challenged me and helped me grow, an incredible group of friends that pushed me to be my best self, and so many memories to go along with both. Being a part of the marching band was HUGE for me - I was a part of something so amazing, so well respected (at the time), that I felt like I was doing something good for the community. I miss that.
In the last 3 years, I have voluntarily driven past my old house to see what they've done with it. How the neighborhood has changed. Change is always a hard pill to swallow, no matter who you are. Not being able to drive 25 minutes to see my parents has weighed heavily on me lately. Having them so close, and celebrating traditions with them was something I took for granted when they lived up here. It's not easy being 800+ miles away from your parents when the relationship is as close as mine is with my parents, but we make it work. Thank God for technology.
Methuen will always hold a special place in my heart. It will always be my hometown, the place I was born and raised to be the best version of me. It will always feel like home (even with all the changes lately - i.e. the rotary.. UGH), regardless of how far away I am. I know that city inside out and backwards, and it will always be a part of me.
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