A Summer to Remember

Over the summer, I backpacked Europe for 3 weeks. One day after I finished teaching summer school, I jumped on my flight from IAH to LHR. Eleven hours later, the plane finally touched down at the London Heathrow Airport, and I was awoken with the crisp chilly air of England (the wise old Grandfather to America). The onset of fear and the reality of being there sent chills down my body. ”How am I so lucky to be one of the millions of tourists from around the globe that are able visit the beautiful and history filled country of Europe?” I thought, in attempt to calm myself. Then the fast and furious experience began from the London Eye, the breathtaking walk across the Thanes River bridge past Big Ben, taking pictures with the Bobby’s (cops) and the Nutcrackers (guards at the London Tower), visiting the Tower of Torture at the London Tower which is now the White Tower, the Crown Jewels, House of Mews, Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace, the incredible experience of sitting in on the parliament meeting at The House of Commons, touring the unbelievable architecture, structures, paintings, stunning beauty and filling my brain with ample amounts of knowledge at the Westminster Abbey and other museums in London to traveling under the English Channel to Paris in the Eurostar train. Pah-ree was one of my favorite stops during the trip. I arrived at the Paris Nord Station and got my ticket to St. Michaels and Notre Dame. The architecture is stunning to say the least. There are not any words that could begin to explain it’s magnificence. From there, I hopped onto the underground to the one and only Tour Eiffel of course. I almost wasn’t able to get into the eiffel tower because of my backpack. That’s a whole other story though. Lines, lines, lines, and more lines! After about 4 hours of waiting, I finally was able to purchase my ticket, change levels all the way up, and make it to the summit of the Eiffel Tower! The bird’s eye view of Paris was phenomenal, there was so much concrete and architecture everywhere. The city is just swimming with history. There had to be at least a million rivets holding the tower together. I don’t know how anyone could have built such a structure. It was built in the 1800′s and was used in WWII with a beacon on the top. It was also the first wireless communication (telegram) between Paris and Athens I believe. Thomas Edison was also honored there too. The crepes and waffles in Paris and Europe in general are the best I have ever had. It definitely gave me a whole new appreciation of being a foodie and different cuisines, cultures, and traditions. The next day in Paris was by far one to never forget with the unforgettable first hand view of the beautiful 700 room Palace of Versailles which is said to be as large as the entire city of Manhattan in New York. Every room/structure/mural/wall/ceiling  was remarkable. The tour guide said that Louis 16 was beheaded because he used all of the people’s money to build this extravagant castle. I believe this is part of what started the French Revolution. Everything in the palace (including the entrance gate, fence, and stairwells) are gold plated. Chandeliers fly around the Palace like butterflies at the butterfly exhibit at Moody Gardens. I then took the train ride to the parks and gardens of Versailles and got off at another Palace in Versailles. This one seemed to be a recreation palace for the King/Queen where they would play pool, read at the library, have tea, etc… MUST BE NICE! I really can not even imagine having this kind of lifestyle and I have a pretty wild imagination.  I then went out to the HUGE reflecting pool (which was the size of 20 normal house sized pools easy).  So The Palace of Versailles in itself took an entire day to tour as you can imagine. There are a lot of protesters and employees on strike whom were making it well known in Paris. At one point in the train station, the protesters were throwing torn up pieces of newspapers and magazines everywhere in the train station while yelling on a microphone in French language in which I couldn’t understand what they were saying unfortunately. It was unlike anything I would have ever experienced in America. I constantly wondered in fascination about the convenient and well organized mass transit systems everywhere. How were the underground trains and tunnels built and how do they work? Just mind-blowing.  I also did not see many Wal Marts, Targets, and chain places anywhere which was quite refreshing!  From Paris, I took the train  to Amsterdam which is absolutely the cleanest and most beautiful capital city I have ever seen. The lush greenery, canals, and flowers swarmed the city in color of magnificent beauty. The Anne Frank Huis was definitely worth the 5 hour wait in the cold rain. Luckily I was able to get back to central station and buy a sweater before I went to the Rijks Museum. My head was overwhelmed with knowledge and I still had 11 days to go at this point! I  then jumped on a plane to Venice, then to Rome, and finally another short plane ride to Spain.

This experience did more than strengthen and provide me with the highest level of knowledge. It opened my eyes to first hand communication barriers, gave me insight and appreciation of open minded people, the ability to live and see new cultures and traditions, to see what it truly means to help others in need and to be the one in need as I stood there time after time staring at what looked to be a map of spaghetti (metro train maps) not knowing where I was much less where I was going or how to get there, the true importance of slowing down to smell the roses, what it really feels like to be mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted, the humbling realization of my deepest flaws and weaknesses (patience). One would most likely argue that you could spend 10 years exploring Europe and still not be able to see it all. You name it, they have it! That is the splendor of this country, with its ample world heritage sites, mountains, lakes, beaches, cuisine, museums, scenery, beautiful cities, fashions, and the list goes on. I have to say they are all a must see if you are able, but Rome is probably the most educational must see with it’s rich cultural heritage, The coliseum, St. Angelo’s Castle. Fontana di Trevi (which was being repaired while I was touring, but I threw my coins into the water barren concrete hole anyways – hoping that doesn’t have a reverse effect of the common known good luck superstition. It was greatly disappointing to find a basin empty of water when I arrived. Some other sites I went to and recommend while I was in Rome are The Pantheon and The Vatican which were also mind blowing, of course. I could spend days and write hundreds of pages explaining the details, triumphs, and tribulations of my trip, but we all know that ”nobody has time for that.” 

In conclusion, I have to admit that it was when I backpacked Europe alone that I realized just how small I am in this huge world. The humbling experience brought tears to my eyes daily. I strongly encourage my colleagues, friends, and students to persevere, don’t give up, and follow your dreams.