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"Christmas in Winter Park"

December 12, 2006

Rachel and I pose with Father Christmas, who was spreading holiday cheer in the park.

Exams are over. It’s only been a few hours since I finished my last one, so it hasn’t entirely sunk in yet that I’m actually done. In two days I leave Rollins for a five-week break. The break sounds like the elixir of life at the moment, but I’ll miss being at Rollins. I’ll miss my friends, my space, the campus, and perhaps most of all, Winter Park.
One of the best things about Rollins is its location. On one side is a picturesque lake; on the other side, a city bursting with all sorts of things to do: theaters, movies, malls, a ridiculous number of restaurants, sporting events. . . But I think my favorite place in Winter Park is Park Avenue, which begins just outside the Rollins gates.

Park Avenue is a brick street lined with a haphazard variety of shops, eateries, an art museum, and a beautiful park. I take great pleasure in strolling Park Ave. on Saturday mornings just as the shops are opening, when the sunlight is still new and the street is still quiet. It’s a time to think, a time to dream, a time to simply relish the fact that I now live within walking distance of the most charming street I’ve ever seen. And yet, as high as my esteem is for Park Avenue, I didn’t fully appreciate just how wonderful Park Ave. and Winter Park are until tonight.

The Bach Festival Choir (apologies for the darkness)

This evening, Rachel and I went to the annual Christmas in the Park held on Park Avenue. The air was cool, our minds were blissfully distant from exams, and in the dark of the winter evening, Park Avenue was resplendent in sparkling lights. As we made our way toward the park, snatches of Christmas music enticed us on. We passed a man playing a lone saxophone, and another strumming a guitar. We passed a Santa Claus who was distributing fresh-baked cookies outside one of the chocolate shops. Still, the music beckoned.
At last we reached the park, where the Bach Festival Choir was singing enchanting carols from a light-strewn stage. The park was packed with people of all ages—families with children, elderly couples, college friends, and more. Some had folding chairs, others had blankets spread with the remnants of picnic dinners and light by flickering candles. It seemed as though the whole of Winter Park had turned out to hear the beautiful music.

It was unlike anything I have ever experienced. New Port Richey is a classic case of suburban sprawl: Nothing is within reasonable walking distance, which makes it difficult to feel like part of a community. And New Port Richey lacks the charm that has made me fall in love with Park Avenue. I know of nothing like Christmas in the Park that occurs in New Port Richey. Perhaps it does, but distance would make it unlikely that I would attend. In Winter Park—at Rollins—many places really are within easy walking distance, and there are always signs in the shop windows announcing the latest events.

We sat on the grass, listening, laughing, and enjoying the sense of community that filled the air. It was the perfect way to end exams, the perfect way to end the semester. Rachel and I decided that Christmas in the Park should be one of our traditions at Rollins. What a thrilling feeling, to be starting my own holiday traditions. I count this evening as one of my favorites since leaving home. Christmas in the Park has only deepened my affection for Park Avenue, and will make me miss it all the more. Thus, it is with a certain amount of nostalgia that I leave for the holidays. I send my thanks and holiday wishes to all R-Journal readers, and I promise many more exciting entries in the New Year. Enjoy your holidays!

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