On November 2011 I was offered to go on a trip of a lifetime. I remember it clearly. I entered my house after a long day of school and grueling practice to find my grandpa waiting anxiously. Before I could even put my bag down, he asked me if I wanted to go on a cruise around the Mediterranean. I have always dreamed on traveling outside of the United States. I wanted so badly to say, “Yes count me in” but something was holding me back. It didn’t take long before I realized it was field hockey. The weekend I was scheduled to depart was the same weekend of my field hockey playoff game. I had to make a decision on whether I would go on this trip or stay to play in the important game. This was the biggest decision of my life so far.

My decision had to be made immediately. We were to depart in two weeks. Most people wait a lifetime for this opportunity and some never get it but I didn’t want to be judged by my coach and team as not being a dedicated team member. After much struggle I decided I could not let this opportunity pass. I soon discovered making this decision was the easy part, having to go tell my coach I was not going to be at the game was the tough part.

The next day we were scheduled to play Pilgrim. We ended up with a much-needed win. After watching everyone leave the field I knew that this was the best time to tell my coach. It wasn’t easy gaining the courage to do this but I had no choice if this was something I wanted. I explained how difficult this decision was for me and it did not mean I was less committed to my team. My coach expressed her disappointment with me not being able to play but surprisingly she was excited that I had the opportunity to go on a trip like this.

The day that I would be leaving was fast approaching. The excitement I started to feel was growing more and more each day. When the day finally arrived it hit me, was I really leaving the country? Am I really going to be away from home, half way across the world, for three weeks? The more questions I asked, the more nervous I felt. When I finally got to the airport and got out of the car and I was comforted by the feeling of familiarity. This trip felt no different from the others. I checked my bags, went through security, and bordered the plane the same way I did for every other trip.

After a long seven-hour plane ride we finally landed. I slept for most of the flight with my oversized beat headphones on, making my head feel ten times bigger than it actually was. Upon exiting the plane, we had to go straight through customs and wait in long lines to get our luggage. Trying not to miss the bus to the boat was stressful. Despite all the stress and rushing around it hit me that this was actually happening. This was not just like every other trip that I have been on. I always wanted to go on a trip outside of the United States and I was finally doing it.

I made it to Spain, the first destination of my trip. I knew I would not be staying in Spain for long so I was going to try to make the most of it. I must have taken at least 50 pictures from the ten-minute bus ride from the airport to the boat. I wanted to make sure I could capture every moment not knowing if I would ever be there again.

Arriving to the cruise ship was a crazy experience. I had seen the boat from a far but getting to stand next to one of that size was completely different. You don’t realize how enormous these ships are until you are next to one. It was the biggest thing I have ever seen. I was anxious and I was so excited to get on the boat. Being my first time I have ever been on a cruise I was so excited experiencing my first time on a ship that I forgot about where it was taking me.

There wasn’t much time to explore the boat because the next morning we were in France. Nervous, not knowing what to expect, I was up early looking at the land outside my deck. I was ready to explore. We had to take a mini boat to land because the cruise couldn’t port in this harbor. Although I was told that the ride to get there might be rough, I was determined to see every place I could.

Upon arriving to shore my grandpa, cousin, and I quickly discovered we were not really prepared for the day. The first thing we decided to do was to get a taxi, not knowing what to expect we found a taxi but we weren’t sure how to go about it. Eventually when we found one, we were confronted with a new dilemma, the language barrier. The taxi driver did not speak English and we could not speak French but we made the best out of it.

The first thing I realized was that they were crazy drivers, not really sure how I survived the car ride. Our taxi driver took us to all the main points and did his best to explain as much as he could. He drove us all across the French Riviera and through the local neighborhood streets. The attention our diver gave us made us feel like we saw a part of the country you normally wouldn’t. Out on the main roads something big was going on. Later I found out it was the Circuit de Monaco. This is big race that takes place in the local streets. As the day continued it started to get late and we had to go back to the boat. I was happy but also sad that this could have been the last time I ever go to France. This also just made me that more excited for the rest of the trip and I was ready to move on to Italy.

The next day we were in Florence, Italy. This time we were more prepared on what we were going to do during the day. We decided we were going to go to the Piazza dei Miracoli. I remember getting off the bus a few blocks away from Pisa and thinking this place is a dump. Walking into the square I was just amazed. There right in front of me was the Cathedral, and the leaning tower. I couldn’t help myself then getting close to the leaning tower because I just couldn’t believe it. I have never seen a building that was actually tilted. It was fascinating learning about the tower and how it came to be. The leaning began to manifest during construction. The tower was not meant to be large in size. It was just a bell to let the people know church was beginning but the soft ground caused it to tilt. Thanks to modern day efforts the Italians were able to stabilize the tower to keep it from collapsing. The tower wasn’t the only thing moving. It was soon discovered that if one were to look at the side of the cathedral one would notice that the lines didn’t match up. It is mind boggling and incredible how these buildings shifted but still stand strong today. My experience in Pisa differed from France. France was full of beautiful landscape but Pisa had beauty, massive infrastructure, and history. It was a true learning experience and I couldn’t wait to get to Rome.

The day had finally arrived. The stop I have been waiting for. I had learned so much about Rome in textbooks and class hat being able to see it first hand was beyond exciting. My time was limited and I wanted to see everything I possibly could. Our first stop was the Trevi Fountain. To be honest I have never given much thought behind the historical significance and pictures in a textbook but seeing it in person was different. This was so beautiful and just the details were incredible. This started the day off great but there was plenty more to see.

There was so much to see from the Roman Forum that I wouldn’t even know where to start. The Roman Forum was the center of public life in ancient times. Even though most of the city had been destroyed it was impressive to see what remains of it. I found the Colosseum to be most interesting. Having learned about the history of the Colosseum in class and then to be standing inside was unreal. I was right there, looking down at the middle where Romans would come to watch people and animals die in front of their eyes. I could see the gates that lead the animals in to their death. Walking in the halls you could feel the death and that was a feeling I never felt before.

Our next destination was Vatican City. My grandparents had been there before and kept telling me to just wait. Arriving at St. Peter’s Basilica and seeing the 140 statues of saints was the most incredible site I have experienced. Standing in the same place where the Pope lives was a feeling that can’t be described. Upon entering the magnificent church the only thing I could think was wow. I had never been in a building so big and so beautiful. It was enormous and everywhere you turned a painting or historic artifact decorated the walls. Heading back to the boat that night I was still in awe over what I had just seen. Little did I realize there was more to come.

The beauty and life that filled St. Peters was a sharp contrast to lifeless Pompeii. In 79 AD the volcanic Mt. Vesuvius unexpectedly awoke, submerging the city of Pompeii under a layer of ash. The city was destroyed but what was eventually discovered was the layer of ash protected what lay beneath life at the time of the tragedy. We walked through the city, saw the stones where people walked on to cross the street, and the ovens they used to cook. Most of the city was still preserved even after all this time. Something that impressed me the most were two bodies in a glass box. They were people that had died in the eruption but whose bodies were preserved because of the ash. You could still see their teeth and their body was in the position they died in. One women was pregnant and laid on her stomach to protect her baby. This was something I had never seen before. The remains of these people were now statues that lived at one time. That was an image I will never forget.

Only a few more stops on our way back to the port marked the end of our trip. The cruise stopped for the last time where we started in Spain. We were prepared to hop on the bus and head straight to the airport for our flight home but our plans abruptly changed. Back home Hurricane Sandy was occurring so we were forced to stay in Spain that night. This was more challenging than expected. Ordering McDonalds in Spanish was not easy. The hotel was very different to the hotels back home. You needed a code for the elevator to move. I thought that was strange but I soon found out why it was like that. Later on that night we were in the cafeteria in the hotel. A random girl approached us and asked for money. My grandfather basically told her to get lost. A few minutes later all the sudden she was running and someone was screaming their purse was stolen. Not long after cops were blocking the exits. It all happened so fast but she somehow got away and had someone outside the door waiting for her. Something like this has never happened to me before. I just wanted to my room because I knew tomorrow was going to be a long next day.

My trip gave me a greater appreciation for the things I sometimes take for granted like art and history. Perhaps the most valuable lesson from my experience came before I departed. I now realized that you cant be afraid to take risks even when you’re scared to do so. The decision to stay home and play in my field hockey game would have been the easy decision but the decision to go meant finding the courage to ask my coach and dealing with the disappointment of my teammates. Life is full of opportunities but there are no guarantees you will have the same opportunity twice. I can assure you I wont take any of my future opportunities for granted.