Florence was a beautiful city, booming with life. I personally got to have my 17th birthday in this gorgeous location with my best friends. The art and architecture that we saw from Florence was absolutely breathtaking. The buildings had high arches, beautiful, carved statues, and detailed paintings. No space was ever waisted when it came to the aesthetics of the architecture, displaying the beautiful and intricate design of the buildings. Every church and every cathedral we visited had been beautifully built, projecting the God-centered ideals of the early Italians. My heart was moved by having the greatest opportunity to explore the origins of my faith in the most personal way. Seeing a picture on the Internet does not compare to witnessing the original works of God's artists in person. I don't usually see such beautiful things back home because Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals aren't too popular nowadays. Seeing it in real life has opened my eyes to a new world and a new culture.
I personally love people, and love to explore different cultures. The Europe trip has been the ultimate opportunity to do just that. Florence is very culturally interesting and sparks my curiosity. Mostly we walked everywhere, spending a lot of time being immersed into the culture. This was my favorite part because I learned so much about the people and how they acted. Cars won't always stop for you and might run you over, if you don't finish your food at a restaurant, you might get sassed by your waiters (jokingly of course), and if a man on the side of the road compliments you, he probably wants you to buy something. Despite all of the cultural quirks, observing the people up close and personal gives me life. I'm extremely extroverted, so the culture of Florence was the most interesting to me. I loved the people, the food, and the shopping. Having my birthday there was even better. Overall Florence was one of my favorite cities. Because I was around people that were completely different than me, I've broadened my spectrum and understanding of people, learning to respect the Italian culture at a deeper level than I had ever had before.
Manda Jean Rabara, 12th grade
I personally love people, and love to explore different cultures. The Europe trip has been the ultimate opportunity to do just that. Florence is very culturally interesting and sparks my curiosity. Mostly we walked everywhere, spending a lot of time being immersed into the culture. This was my favorite part because I learned so much about the people and how they acted. Cars won't always stop for you and might run you over, if you don't finish your food at a restaurant, you might get sassed by your waiters (jokingly of course), and if a man on the side of the road compliments you, he probably wants you to buy something. Despite all of the cultural quirks, observing the people up close and personal gives me life. I'm extremely extroverted, so the culture of Florence was the most interesting to me. I loved the people, the food, and the shopping. Having my birthday there was even better. Overall Florence was one of my favorite cities. Because I was around people that were completely different than me, I've broadened my spectrum and understanding of people, learning to respect the Italian culture at a deeper level than I had ever had before.
Manda Jean Rabara, 12th grade