“The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding” – Leonardo DeVinchi. 

   During spring break, I went on the St. Stephen’s school trip to France and Italy. At first, I was excited to site-see, eat good food, and hang out with my friends, but the trip turned out to be far more meaningful. It became about understanding the relations between art and cultures, people, and history while traveling through Rome, Florence, and Paris. 

   The first museum we visited was the Accademia Museum, a place that held one of Michelangelo’s most famous pieces, the statue of David. I had seen pictures of it, and I even did a presentation on it in 9th grade history, but that didn’t prepare me for the overwhelming sight of it in real life. The statue towered over me at 17 feet tall, but the most impressive part about it were the tiny details. Only when I noticed this, and I was able to actually see the statue in real life, did I begin to understand the dedication for art and understanding of anatomy that Michelangelo had. Through this, he was able to create artwork that resonated and drew thousands of people in. His one statue became not only a political symbol of Florence back during the renaissance era, but it also represented the timeless idea of facing the unknown through using the biblical figure of David. 

   I think this concept was represented throughout the rest of my trip, and I started to realise how in order to understand the world better, I had to face the unknown and experience new things. We visited countless tourist destinations including the Vatican, the Colosseum, the Roman forum, the Villa Borghese Gardens and gallery, the Trevi fountain, and the Louvre. With each new place we went too, my understanding of people and different cultures continued to grow. 

   I am extremely thankful for this experience, and I couldn’t thank my parents, friends, chaperones, and our tour guide, Chelsea, more.