my walk to class...

Aside from being a major selling point for tourists and huge source of pride for Duke, beautiful Sarah Duke Garden's have become a sort of buffer for me as I head to class on a daily basis. They allow me to move from a space wrought with stress, tiredness, drama (as often happens at the coffeeshop just pre-class) and anxiety to one of worship, learning, encouragement, and community. I know what you're thinking, "Isn't school where the stress is supposed to be, and home is to be a sanctuary?" Sort of but not quite. I do enjoy home as a place of rest and relaxation, and the library can certainly be trying (I'm sure I haven't seen a small fraction of what is to come), but I try to orientate myself so that my hard work happens ahead of time and puts me in a position to enjoy lecture, precept, greek, or even a quiz. Thus, by moving through the gardens (a la CS Lewis' wardrobe?, I don't know), I come to a place where I can be free of all those fetters. A peak at these pictures, taken from my car, parked on Central Campus, to class, at the foot of the Chapel on West Campus, will confirm this...