Joey Karczewski ’20 — As I reflect on my time abroad, I often think back to the numerous museums that I had visited. A couple of my favorite include the Mumok in Vienna and the Film Museum in Frankfurt.  These Museums were memorable to me because I left each of them changed in some-way. In particular, the Film Museum in Frankfurt had an extremely well curated room on the growth of film as a means of conveying a story. The room began with wheels that when spun, appeared as a moving object. Next was the Camera Obscura, and lastly the first produced films.  While the method of using film was interesting in and of itself, what the films chose to capture was even more fascinating. All the films in some way or another captured aspect of the Human condition: a couple kissing, a trains arrival, a silly man making jokes. Because of the steep Museum prices, I don’t that I would have been able, nor would have thought to, visit these museums if it weren’t for the Givens Family Fund.

Later on in my semester I had the chance to take a week-long visit to Berlin. It was here that I was able to visit the DDR Museum, Alte National Galerie, the Altes Museum, Jewish Berlin Museum, Topography of Terror, Berlin Wall Memorial, and the East Side Gallery.  While this was a more informative trip, I still got to see my fair share of art pieces. There was an exhibit at the Jewish Berlin Museum that I remember vividly. In the basement of the Museum, several Jewish citizens killed in World War II were memorialized. The exhibit was set up in a way that forced one to stand directly in front of what was the main focus. Each part of the exhibit had a piece of artwork created by the individual who was killed.  I think this exhibit was extremely moving for me because it made me change the way I look at art.

I can’t thank the Givens family, the selection committee, and Wabash enough for enabling me to have an incredible opportunity like this. There are so many other places and museums that I visited that I didn’t list in this blog post. I left my experience abroad with a much greater appreciation for art that will stick with me for a lifetime. I look forward to returning to Europe soon!

Ancient Ruins of Akotiri

Isaiah Mears ’20 — Nothing like six inches of snow and an 8 AM class to welcome you back from a semester in the Peloponnese am I right? My time in Greece was always filled with life-changing experiences. However, the most influential part of my journey was watching what I learned in my art history class come to life as I traveled.

I believe that liberally educated individuals are at a massive advantage from people who attend a state university or another institution that doesn’t require a well-balanced education. Wabash cultivates problem solvers and critical thinkers, and I think that the cultivation process is seen in the diversity of curriculum we are required to take. During my semester abroad, I decided to take a Greek Art History course to fulfill one of my distribution credits to graduate. Being a political science major, I was not particularly excited about making an art class, especially in one of the most important epicenters of the arts; and not to my surprise, this ended up being my most challenging course abroad. The Greek people are very in touch with their history and love nothing more than to share that history with others. I learned about material from just about every ancient era of Greek art, but two eras, in particular, would interest me the most both inside and outside of the classroom. The Bronze age and Hellenistic period of Greek art were the focus of my education and travel abroad.

Town of Oia in Santorini

The Bronze Age is filled with Greek art and ancient complex civilizations. One of these civilizations, in particular, was on the island of Santorini. Tucked away at the southern tip of Santorini, Akrotiri’s ruins are one of the Bronze age’s most sophisticated settlements, which prospered for centuries before being eradicated by a great volcanic eruption. Like the Roman ruins of Pompeii, the remains of the Minoan town are incredibly well-preserved. The settlement was all but destroyed when the volcano it sat upon, Thera, erupted, and its inhabitants fled. The volcanic matter covered the entire island of Santorini and the town itself, preserving the buildings and their contents. Even now, visitors can still identify houses and pots. With that being said, the inhabitants of this island must have fled well before the eruption because no corpses have been uncovered from the settlement. Through this scholarship, I was able to visit this ancient site and view the remains with my own eyes. I walked the same path and touched the same walls as the people who lived their hundreds of years ago. I cannot begin to explain how fortunate I was to see what I learned in the classroom come to life.

The other trip I was able to go on because of this scholarship was in Italy. Rome is home to many incredible people and places, but the Vatican museums were by far my favorite. I felt like I was living in a movie or a dream as I would wake up in the morning, grab an espresso and some Frittata and walk down the cobbled streets to the entrance of the Vatican. I would be lying if I didn’t say I wanted to see the Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter’s Basilica the most, however, yet again to be able to see what I learned in my textbook jump off the page and come to life right in front of me was remarkable. The statue of Laocoon and his sons would be my favorite piece in the museum. During the semester I had to work on a project with a couple of classmates, and we were tasked with this masterpiece. I was fortunate enough to go with these same classmates and see what we presented on in real life. Without the Givens scholarship, none of this would have been possible.

I would like to again extend my sincerest thanks to the Givens family for this unique opportunity. Please continue to foster liberally educated men through this scholarship because I genuinely received a life-changing experience.

Darian Phillips ’20 – During my time abroad, I was enrolled in a modern and contemporary art history course, which surveyed artwork from the beginning of the neo-classical period in the 18^thcentury up through the abstract expressionism period in the 21^stcentury. At the beginning of the semester, I had little to no background knowledge on anything concerning art, therefore whenever I had witnessed a piece of artwork I only recognized the superficial details and never fully appreciated its true value. However, this course offered context on each of the art periods that we discussed and provided insight on the social and political pressures that influenced and motivated each of the artists when composing a given piece of artwork. I discovered that artists from the neo-classical period were infatuated with heroism, nude subjects, dramatic lighting, bright primary colors, and hard and definite edges. On the other hand, artist from the romantic period were inspired by emotion and feeling, and often implemented looser and less precise brushwork in comparison to traditional academic paintings.

As the semester progressed, I continued to develop a keen eye for the seemingly insignificant details of a painting, and consequently, I became intrigued by the various aspects and underlying meaning embedded within a given painting. I specifically recall when a group of friends and myself made a trip to Amsterdam in late November and we had decided to make a stop by the Van Gogh museum. On the brutally cold Saturday afternoon, we elected to ride rental bikes so that we could quickly navigate Amsterdam’s compact roads. By the time we arrived at the museum, our faces were beat red from wind burn, our hands numb, moral was low, and were eager to find warmth and shelter. After we got inside and took a minute to thaw out, we proceeded to begin our journey through the four-story museum. I remember enthusiastically walking from painting to painting and eagerly explaining to my friends the various aspects of each painting that made it unique and describing to them what Van Gogh’s motivations and intentions at the time of their composition. Looking back on it, my friends probably were a bit irritated by my infatuation and could have gone without my poor attempt of being our own Van Gogh tour guide, but I could not contain my excitement for being able to actually witness the artwork that I had been studying in class for weeks in person.

With that being said, I would like to thank the Givens family for this amazing opportunity to explore a subject that I does not pertain to my major and the ability to expand my learning outside of the classroom.

Alex Pittsford ’20

Alex Pittsford ’20 – Looking back at my semester abroad, I’m surprised at just how much I was able to learn and experience in just four short months. From celebrating Oktoberfest on opening day in Munich to perusing the Christmas Markets in Heidelberg, I was able to experience an incredible amount of German culture, while also greatly improving my language skills. One major factor in helping cultivate this experience abroad were the funds provided by the Givens scholarship. My theme of study was based on a conversation with Dr. Greg Redding, where we discovered that Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, perhaps the most famous German author, had developed his own color theory. In order to pursue this topic, I decided to study artists influenced by this theory, which brought me to Hamburg, to see the works of Phillip Otto Runge in the Hamburger Kunsthalle, Munich, to see the works of Wassily Kandinsky in both the Neue Pinakothek and the Lenbachhaus, and London, to see J.M.W. Turner’s works in the Tate Classic. While this topic began with the color theory shared between these artists, the moment that stuck with me the most during my travels came during my visit to the Tate.

Art by J.M.W. Turner

Of the artists influenced by Goethe’s color theory, Turner is the only non-German. Despite this, I still found parallels, not only to Germany, but perhaps most surprisingly to the city in which I completed my study abroad. As I was working my way through the multiple rooms of his works housed at the Tate, I stumbled upon a landscape work that, despite my never having seen it, seemed eerily familiar. I had read during my visit that Turner had spent a significant portion of his life travelling Europe, Germany specifically, which is how he was introduced to Goethe’s color theory from the man himself. During his travels, Turner had spent some time in Heidelberg, the city in which I completed my studies and the subject of this eerily familiar painting. While the work was not complete, once I knew the subject was indeed Heidelberg, I started to recognize some of the characteristic landmarks in Heidelberg, from the castle towering over the city to the shore of Neckar splitting the city in half. This work gave me not only a feeling of nostalgia for what had become my second home, but it also allowed me to reflect on the interconnectedness of culture in Europe. This artwork, housed in one of the largest and most famous art museums in the U.K. and painted by one of the most famous British artists (in fact, the prestigious Turner prize is named for J.M.W Turner) managed to capture the ethos and aesthetic of a small town in Germany. This piece, while not the most well-known I saw during my travels, left the largest impact on me, and without the funds provided by the Givens family, I would not have been able to have this experience.

Kiesel at the Prado Museum

Ben Kiesel ’20 – As I spent an unforgettable semester in Valencia, Spain, I had the opportunity to visit a number of beautiful European cities to study art thanks to the Givens family. I was enrolled in a special topics Pablo Picasso class and though we studied major art movements throughout the 20^thcentury, the course focused on arguably the most prolific and creative Spanish artist ever, Pablo Picasso. Picasso had an unmatched influence on movements such as surrealism, neoclassicism, impressionism and cubism.

My first trip was to Spain’s capital, Madrid, where I visited two museums, the Prado and the Reina Sofia. I first visited the Prado where I found some of the premier works of art by artists from all of Europe. These works include Las Meninas, The Third of May 1808, Garden of Earthly Delightsand Saturn. It was incredible to be studying these paintings in class one day and seeing them in person the next. While the Prado had many beautiful works, I was most excited to visit the Reina Sofia. The Reina Sofia is home to Guernica, my favorite painting by Picasso. It was incredible to see this masterpiece, and so many others in person. I had heard beforehand that Guernica is much bigger in person than you will think and this proved to be true. I marveled at the way Picasso was able to pack so many complex themes and imagery into one painting. For me, given how much I have studied this particular painting it was surreal to be able to study it in person.

I stayed in Spain for my next trip as well, and made my first visit to Barcelona and the northern region of Spain. Along with many amazing sites, such as the Sagrada Familia, Park Güell and La Rambla, I visited the Picasso museum which was a remarkable experience. This particular museum was great to visit in conjunction with my class because we could see progression of different styles throughout his life. Picasso’s ability to create works that bridged the gaps between different styles was evident when you could see many of his works together side by side. For this reason, I think my trip to the Picasso museum and Barcelona in general was the most informative.

My next trip was probably my favorite and would not have been possible without the support of the Givens family. I made the trip to central Europe to visit Switzerland. There, I spent about two and a half days in Geneva visiting a variety of sites including the United Nations building, St. Pierre Cathedral and Flower Clock. Additionally, although this is not directly applicable to Picasso and art, I visited the International Museum of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. This museum may have been my favorite just because going into it I really had no idea what the Red Cross and Red Crescent organization actually does. It was extremely informative and had a number of fascinating interactive activities. Once again, though it was not connected with my class, the ability to explore this museum and learn was only possible because I was given funds to visit Lucerne Switzerland to visit the Rosengart Collection. The Rosengart Collection is a collection of many works by Picasso and other 20^thcentury artists. I particularly enjoyed one painting by Picasso that is not among his most famous, but one that we studied in class, Still Life.

Atkins ’20 at Van Gogh Museum

Max Atkins ’20 – While I spent four months studying philosophy in Amsterdam, my travels were not limited to the Netherlands thanks to the Givens family. While my intention when going abroad was to focus on the work of Picasso, I was able to experience much more than that through the semester. Upon arrival in Amsterdam, I purchased a museum card that got me into all the museums throughout the Netherlands. With this I got to experience all different forms of art. I got to experience the work of Van Gogh through his life at the Van Gogh Museum, I got to see the work of Dutch classics through the golden age by artist such as Rembrandt, and even modern works of photography.

Thanks to the Givens Scholarship, I got to travel to Spain and France and further my experience of art. I went to Paris and had an overwhelming experience of art from all ages. I got to visit Musée d’Orsay, where the picture I’ve attached is taken, where I not only got to experience art different than what I was seeing in Amsterdam, but also in a completely different style. In Amsterdam many museums do not allow photography of any kind and are eerily quiet. D’Orsay was completely different in that as soon as you walk in you can here the chatter of everyone experiencing the art in their own way, taking photos of the art, with the art, and marveling at its beauty. The museum captured art through all of history from ancient rome all the way through the 20^thcentury.

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to travel and experience art many different ways. To experience architecture, paintings, sculptures, and many other art forms spanning across centuries. Thanks to the Givens, I got to have experiences that I will remember for the rest of my life.

Matthew Hopkins ’19 — As I reflect back on my four months abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France, I realize how formative a time it was for me. I realize how much I’ve grown, I see the things I’ve learned – whether academically or culturally, and of course I was able to improve my French a bit too! It wasn’t always the easiest at times, but my journey abroad was a positive growing experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

In addition to my academics and cultural assimilation in France, a big reason I was even able to go abroad in the first place was thanks to the Givens Scholarship, which I was awarded the semester before I left.  The Givens Scholarship paid for my travel and admittance fees to several museums and historical sites around Europe. Thanks to the Givens, I was able to travel to Berlin to study German expressionism, Paris to study the French impressionists, and many things in between. Before I went abroad, I laid out a plan for what I was going to do with my award money. Though I had to cut a few things out once a got there, on account of the ongoing strikes in France which cancelled many trains and planes I had scheduled, my main goal for the Givens Scholarship was to explore the connections between Impressionism and Expressionism – a goal I feel I was able to reach (or, at least, I beganto reach).

I would like to talk about one specific trip I was able to take thanks to the Givens Scholarship.  About mid-way through the semester, I travelled to Paris, and one of the museums I went to was le Musée de l’Orangerie, to see Claude Monet’s “Water Lilies.”  “Water Lilies” is regarded by some as the masterpiece of Monet, the French Impressionist. When you see it, it’s understandable why some would make that claim. First, the way they were presented – something Monet was very specific about. The painting, in its entirety, spans 8 massive landscape canvases, and these canvases are arranged, in order, around the perimeter of two ovular rooms, which are connected by a small walkway. Picture an infinity symbol shape as a room, and the walls in that room are covered in Monet’s art. The experience of entering that room is one that words could never do justice. Ethereal is the only descriptor that comes close.  The rooms are full of people, but strangely it doesn’t feel cramped – perhaps because the paintings themselves open up an entirely new world that you cannot enter physically, but are still somehow pulled into. Each room has benches in the center, and I sat here for what seems like hours (could have been), just following the stories on the walls.

The reason Monet’s “Water Lilies” was impactful to me is pretty clear, as it is for most everyone, but the reason I chose to talk about this in relation to my Givens Scholarship is perhaps just as intriguing. As I said above, I set out to see the connections between two different art movements – Impressionism and Expressionism, and I found the perfect marriage of those two in Monet’s “Water Lilies.” Monet completed this painting (I refer to it in the singular, because it really is just one painting) towards the end of his life – it wasn’t even put on exhibit until after his death — and you can begin to see the movement to a more abstract, expressionist style of painting in the work. Of course Monet was an Impressionist (maybe the Impressionist), so the characteristics of Impressionism are still very much alive in this work. I saw in Monet’s “Water Lilies,” vibrant Impressionism and budding Expressionism. The way the colors worked to tell stories was emblematic of Monet’s Impressionist style, but the slight tinkering with reality and play on proportions and perspective also showed the seeds of an Expressionist painter. Monet’s “Water Lilies” was truly a masterpiece.

We were not able to take pictures inside the “Water Lilies” room, and to be honest I think I preferred that. I decided to include a picture of me, standing in front of Mont Saint Victoire, which was the subject of hundreds of paintings by another French Impressionist master, Paul Cézanne.

I would like to thank the Givens family once again for the chance to expand my learning outside the classroom, to be able to see pieces of history in the flesh, and draw from them lessons no textbook could teach me.

Neil Ditman at Lehnbach Haus and Pinakothek der Moderne

Neil Dittman ’19 — I would like to extended a deep gratitude for the opportunities afforded by the Givens family. With their generosity, I was able to engage with art from all around the German-speaking world. My primary focus of study was the Blaue Reiter and the BrückeGerman expressionist movements.  My first excursion was to Munich, the birthplace of theBlaue Reiter Expressionist movement. There, I went to the Lehnbach Haus and Pinakothek der Moderne because of their impressive collections featuring works from Franz Marc, August Macke, Paul Klee, Gabrielle Münter, and Wassily Kandinsky. From Munich, I was able to swing down to Kochel am See so see the Franz Marc Museum.

Franz Marc was a particularly interesting artist to study because of his color theory. He assigned colors various symbolic affects, imbuing his works with an extra layer of subtext. He liked to paint animals and a lot of his work focuses on the nature of animals. One work that I was able to see in Basel, Switzerland was his movement-defining masterpiece  “Tierschicksale”. This was the absolute highlight of my experience studying art abroad. “Tierschicksale” (The Fate of the Animals) depicts the apocalypse from the perspective of the animals. The massive piece was partially destroyed in a fire and later restored by Paul Klee. It was absolutely stunning to see in person, and I cannot thank the Givens family enough for allowing me the opportunity.

My next stop was the Brücke Museum, Nationalmuseum, and Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin. These museums house the best collections of Brücke art. The Brücke was a German Expressionist movement that thought of themselves as a bridge between the present and future of art. There, I was able to see works from the movement’s founders, including Ernst Kirchner, Karl Schmidt-Rotluff, Fritz Bleyl, and Erich Heckel. What I found particularly interesting was the movement’s fascination with art from Africa, which at the time was considered “primitive”. Cultural exoticism, however racist or reductivist it may be,  can still fascinating to observe because it reveals a lot about the social climate from which it was conceived.

One of the most interesting aspects of this particular study was seeing art that marked the shift from representational art to abstract art. For me, this shift serves as a reminder that many ideas that are taken as a given in our world were once ideas on the cutting edge. This was an idea that was reinforced in my history of installation art course I completed in Germany. The members of of the Blaue Reiter and Brücke movements pushed the boundaries of art and what could be considered art, much like Minimalism, Prefab, and Earth Art movements that would emerge in the late 20th century. My experiences I have amassed with the help of the Givens family has helped me construct a more cohesive narrative in art history. I no longer view pieces of art as individual, isolated incidents, but rather points on a line, or chapters in a book that will never be finished.

Evan Hansen ’19 —

Evan Hansen

Where?: El Badii Palace, Marrakech Morocco

When?: 03/11/2018

What?: My travels were not limited to Spain as Joel Janak ‘19 and myself tackled Morocco. El Badii Palace was completed towards the end of the 16th century and was a lavish display of the best craftsmanship of the Saadian period. This was one of the most important stops on our trip because it encapsulates the Arabic architecture found in many northeastern Spanish cities.

I am currently taking the Spanish course

SPA-47407 “Introduction to Spanish Art,” which investigates the rich 19th and 20th-century Spanish art. Additionally, Dr. Enrique Peláez has provided us with an analysis of Roman, Medieval, and Gothic influences. Our class has visited several museums and cathedrals in Spain to explore topics from the ‘Golden Age’ of painting (Velázquez, El Greco, Murillo, Ribera), to the famous names of the 20th century (Gaudí, Picasso, Dalí,Miró).

Museo Nacional Del Prado y Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía

With the gracious contributions of Mr. and Mrs. Givens, I was able to visit several exhibitions of Spain’s two greatest 20th-century masters: Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí. In the classroom we learned the evolution their style, its context in history, and its legacy. However, when I observed the massive canvas I immediately felt a connection. The anti-war message is especially relevant to the increasing tensions of the 21st century. I could not leave the museum without purchasing replica bookmark 🙂

Max Lawson ’19 — Thanks to the generosity of the Givens family, I was able to travel extensively within Spain, and even take excursions to the Netherlands and France in order to gain a richer and more profound understanding of the art, culture, history, and people of Europe.  With my first trip, I was able to go to Amsterdam with a group of friends I had only made a week beforehand.  It seemed crazy… getting on a plane with people who were basically strangers to go to another country that was even farther away from home than we already were. After landing on the tarmac and taking a bus from Eindhoven to Amsterdam, it was obvious that we had made the right decision.  Amsterdam, known for its tulips and otheramenities, was unlike any city I have ever visited before.  The bustling crowds (although friendly), buildings, and cobbled streets reminded me of the fast-paced streets of New York, but with Baroque architecture, all of which seemed to have been frozen in time.  It was as if an entire society had taken a time machine, but kept the amenities of the 21^stcentury.  As we explored the city, we knew that museums would be necessary if we were to truly enjoy what the city had to offer.  The Anne Frank Museum, whose tickets were notorious for being sold out, was first on our list.  To our surprise and fortune, we were able to get tickets two days in advance, and were shuffling through the historic hideout in no time. While maneuvering around the house, the laughter and conversation that usually followed our group was subdued to a quiet lull, as our minds and ears were engrossed with the stories and accounts provided by the audio tour.  As we continued through the house, the tour only got more and more serial.  I was standing in the same rooms, touching the same walls, and walking across the same floors that the Franks had so many years ago.  The chills were unstoppable.  Following the Anne Frank Museum, we made our way to the Van Gogh museum, where we received an in-depth look into the mind and personal life of Vincent Van Gogh. While I was familiar with his more famous paintings such as, Starry Night, Van Gogh self-portrait, andCafé Terrace at Night, my appreciation for his lesser-known works grew as my knowledge of them did.  One of the most celebrated painters in history was an anomaly in his day, and, as a result, his feelings were translated into his paintings through the changes in his artistic style and the colors that represented them.

Following our trip to Amsterdam, the same group of friends took a trip to Madrid for the weekend, eager to see what Spain’s capital city had to offer. Immediately, we were astounded by the change in scenery when compared to Valencia.  Valencia has an older style of architecture, with certain streets and neighborhoods evolving into more modern utopias.  However, Madrid had the same hustle and bustle of many of the cities in the United States.  Hand-laid brick streets were replaced with concrete or asphalt, as cars whirred around corners.  While Madrid seemed to have evolved, the Prado Museum maintained many of the historic relics on which society was built.  Paintings of royal figures such as Philip II, Isabella Clara Eugenia, and Charles IV (whose girlfriends seemed to change as regularly as the days, and, as a result, forced Goya to paint the women alongside him with their heads turned) lined the seemingly endless corridors through which we meandered.  Of course, we got lost, but we were okay with that.  While the Prado Museum maintained a respectful and appreciate relationship to the Spain of old, the Reina Sofia seemed to have paralleled Madrid’s advanced architecture and lifestyle.  As we did in the Prado, our group perused through the different art galleries presented within the Reina Sofia.  When I heard that the Reina Sofia was the more modern of the two storied museums in Madrid, I anticipated strange, abstract pieces that didn’t make sense. Part of me was right.  Some of the pieces were…out there, to say the least. However, it was still interesting to hear the different guides give us the backgrounds on some of the pieces, even if you did have to “squint” your mind in order to see the connections. Once we were free of the dark rooms, flashing lights, and ominous noises of the modern art exhibits, we made our way to arguably the most famous painting ever, La Guernica.  Pablo Picasso’s representation of the Spanish Civil War is both immense and disturbing, both of which I’m sure he aimed to show.  The immensity, partly due to its size (nearly 11 feet tall and 25 feet wide), was complemented with the graphic depictions of the atrocities that occurred in one of Spain’s darkest periods.

Following my trip to Madrid, my mom and I worked our way up into Catalonia’s crown jewel, Barcelona.  Being a FC Barcelona fan ever since I could remember, I couldn’t wait to see what my favorite team’s city had to offer.  Similar to Madrid, parts of Barcelona were very modern; however, we stayed in a part of Barcelona known for its rich history of art and architecture, the Gothic Quarter.  Walking up and down the winding roads in the Gothic Quarter, vendors attended to their stores, selling handmade leather goods and jewelry, a friendly reminder of the days of old.  While browsing the wares at a local shoe store, I was politely informed by the owner that everything I saw were only samples; I would have to get my foot measured in order to have myshoe made.  This attention to authenticity and quality was apparent throughout the rest of the city.  Once we had finished roving through the not-so-commercial commercial sector, we made our way to the Sagrada Familia.  Perhaps Gaudí’s most famous project, it first opened in 1882, and has yet to be finished. While its astonishing visual presence, both in stature (standing at 566 feet) and content were obvious sights to be had, its history was even more intriguing.  When first learning about the Sagrada Família, I had always heard Gaudí’s named attached to it.  However, upon arriving, I learned that Gaudí had actually inherited the project from another architect, Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano, whose name is often overshadowed by Gaudí’s.  What was even more surprising to me was that Gaudí had only received his first offical commission five years prior to taking over the Sagrada Família.  On top of that, Gaudí was said to be “inconsistent” when studying architecure! After oogleing at the Sagrada Família, we made our way to the Picasso Museum, which houses a myriad of the artist’s works throughout his life.  What was most intersting to me was watching Picasso’s styles change throughout his life, varying from abstract figures composed of a few lines and limited colors, to incredibely detailed portraits of himself, his friends, and family members.

The last trip of my semester abroad was spent in Paris, a city whose name alone inspires hopelessly romantic dreams and visions in the heads of travelers worldwide. Like most of Europe, I found myself wandering the streets aimlessly, but enjoying every second of it.  In the day and a half that I spent in Paris, I was able to see some of the city’s most famous sites, such as the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, and the Notre Dame cathedral.  In the same aimless fashion that I roamed the streets of Europe, I immersed myself in the various exhibits of the Louvre, losing track of time and reality in the process.  Of course, I had to see Mona Lisa.  I had heard from others that it was smaller than expected, but it really wastiny.  As a result, the people-watching around it was almost as great seeing the painting with my own eyes.  Traveling further into the labyrinth that is the Louvre, I began to lose track of time.  The museum seemed endless, and I knew that I had to soak in every moment, every piece, and every feeling that I experienced.  In doing so, I hadn’t realized time had passed so quickly, and it was only after my friend Emily told me that we had to leave or else we wouldn’t be able to see the rest of what Paris has to offer!

After breaking free from the Louvre’s illustrious grasp, I was able to see the Arc de Triomphe, a breathtaking monument that Napoleon dedicated to The Grande Armee after conquering most of Europe.  The structure served as a celebration for those who gave their lives for their country, and serves as a constant reminder of the price some individuals paid in order to give the French their current state.  After perusing along the Seine River, we arrived at the Notre Dame cathedral.  Once inside, we were amazed by the stained-glass sunlight that bathed the walls and floors in a multi-technicolor pallet of reds, blues, and greens.

This may sound nuanced, and even elementary, but studying abroad truly opened my eyes as to how bigthe world really is.  Or, maybe I realized how small I was.  While Earth may be 24, 901 miles in circumference, which, granted, is really big, I realized while traveling how there are billions of people all around the world, just like me, whom I’ve never met.  These people, young and old, have lived experiences completely unknown to me, and I was lucky enough to share brief moments in time and space with them.  I think of James, the young Irishman I met outside of our hostel in Amsterdam, who was kind enough to let us know that we might want to move out of the doorway, as his friends were all trying to wrestle another friend of theirs into the hostel (it was his birthday, and he may have over celebrated).  I think of Mahmoud, a Moroccan immigrant living in Granada, and our conversation regarding the history of the Alhambra, and the intersection of Moroccan and Spanish culture.  He worked as a lawyer, and I was thankful for the advice he gave me as someone pursuing a career in law.  Of course, I appreciated the big things, too, like somberly walking through the Anne Frank museum, being reminded that the atrocities in the Holocaust were very real, and not just something we read in history books or autobiographies. An event that, for all of my life, has been out of sight and out of mind, had truly come to fruition in my mind.

Above all, the most valuable things I took away from study abroad are the little things, the intangible idiosyncrasies that we often take for granted: memories, laughter amongst friends, the smell of the burning Fallas, the taste of a perfectly-cooked croquet, and the hugs from a host mother.