"To build a future you have to know the past"

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The last 2 cities we went to were Barcelona and Amsterdam. After being cold in Paris, Barcelona was a much needed vacation. It was sunny with palm trees. There were people walking around the busy plaza with sun dresses and shorts. The farther south we got in Europe, I could see a major cultural shift.Things seemed so much more relaxed in Barcelona.

The architecture was very unique. The streets were close together and the buildings were so close I could not see where we were going. In the old part of town it felt like a maze that one afternoon I just wandered through for a few hours. I went to the La Sagrada Familia, which is the longest building still under construction currently. The construction of La Sagrada Família had began in 1882. However, Gaudí became involved in 1883, taking over the project and transforming it with his architectural and engineering style—combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. During my time in Europe, I have been to many cathedrals, but this one was the most unique and breathtaking cathedral I have ever seen and it isn’t even finished yet!

One of the days in Barcelona, I left the city and went to Montserrat. There, I hiked up the mountain to see the religious sight. The monastery started there in 880 when an image of the Virgin Mary was found there in the cave. Not only is Montserrat Monastery of significant religious importance but the natural beauty surrounding the monastery is simply breathtaking. This was the highlight of my trip in Spain.

When I arrived in Amsterdam, I was very tired from the past three cities. However, I was very excited to meet up with a friend from Hope College who was also visiting Amsterdam. The two of us spent the majority of the trip laughing about being in the “real” Holland. There were stores with wooden shoes and blue and white china dishes. But, Amsterdam was very different from Holland, Michigan.

The city was beautiful with the canals running through it. I was pleasantly surprised with the charm that Amsterdam brought. However, some of this charm was immediately gone when Ryan and I got lost and wandered into the Red Light district by accident on our way back to the hostel at night. This was one of the biggest cultural shocks I have ever experienced…

The following morning we went to the Anne Frank house. The house is simple and unimpressive from the outside. However, the exhibit inside was heartbreaking. At the end of the house a simple quote by Otto Frank is painted upon the wall—“To Build a future you have to know the past.” To me, this quote summed up my passion and desire to teach history. This semester I learned history from another perspective. I have traveled over Europe going to as many places as I could to try to understand the past. The past shapes who we are now, as a person, a country, and a global community.

The 2 weeks I spent in Europe were eye opening, educational, and some of the best moments of my life. I can only hope that in my future career as a teacher I can convey the importance of cultural awareness and historical occurrences. After this experience, I have the “travel bug.” I hope that my future has many more amazing opportunities like this to keep learning and living life to the fullest.

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