I am packing my suitcase on the last night in Paris. Taylor Swift is blasting on my iTouch in my hotel room at the Hotel Mercure, as my roommate and I sob because our trip of a lifetime is coming to an end. When would we see our newfound friends again? Could this incredible trip truly be over? I can see now that although I am no longer traveling through Europe with Abbey Road, the journey will never completely end. My memories from the trip will have a lasting impact, and the events that I experienced have completely changed how I view the world.
I have gained more than I ever imagined from Abbey Road’s Western Civilization tour through Europe. Before embarking on this trip, I had hoped that it would change me from a mere tourist into a sophisticated world traveler. Through the significant amount of information provided at every sight we visited, as well as the numerous Symposium Seminars (group discussions), Abbey Road succeeded in making me the type of traveler I so desired to become. Instead of glancing at a painting in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and swiftly moving on to the next, the counselors gathered us together to discuss in-depth the history and details of the particular painting and encouraged us to study and debate why the artist created it in that manner.
Before the trip, I had promised myself that I would embrace every aspect of European culture and make the most out of each new experience. I know that I kept this promise throughout my month in Europe because I approached moments of nervousness or apprehensiveness as an opportunity to stretch beyond my comfort zone and grow as a person. My walk through the Santa Maria della Concezione (the Bone Church) in Rome was one such occasion. As our counselors explained, the nuns and leaders of this very sacred church bury its holy men in the church’s vicinity and do not believe in cremation. However, the church quickly ran out of space to bury all of the dead, so the leaders used the bones to decorate the church’s walls and ceilings. As I strolled through this narrow, holy Church of Bones, I felt as though I was entering an underground grave. I knew that these bones were not disgusting in the eyes of the leaders of this church, so I made sure to look at it from their point of view. Experiencing this sight from a different perspective expanded my knowledge and understanding of the different customs and philosophies that exist throughout the world.
I anticipated that this trip would include a respectable balance of work and play, and indeed it did. In addition to exploring the cultural sights, we participated in a wide range of leisure activities such as exploring Florence while on a photo scavenger hunt, dancing at a Discotheque, nightly excursions for gelato, watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night while on the rides at a festive carnival in Paris, dressing up with face paint to watch the Women’s World Cup Final in a restaurant in Rome, and playing beach volleyball on an inflatable raft in the water at the Glyfada Beach Resort in Athens. These were only a few of the many exciting and surprising adventures that I encountered; however, the escapades brought more than just fun. They fostered a bond of friendship among a group of thirty students that I would have thought impossible beforehand. I have learned so much not only about the culture of Europe but also from my relationships with the people I met on the trip. We shared many stories about our own unique experiences, which greatly enhanced my understanding of my traveling companions, as well as of the places we visited.
My life-changing experiences have taught me more about the meaning of life and revealed more about who I am than I could ever have learned without stepping out of my current environment. I will continue to share with others the remarkable journey that I have experienced with Abbey Road. As I think about these countless memories, sift through all my breath-taking photos of the Acropolis in Athens, the Vatican in Rome, the Duomo in Florence, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and Skype and message with my many new friends, I know that my Western Civilization trip to Europe with Abbey Road will always remain a part of me.
