Wow… as I sit here on this bus ride looking out at the Tuscan countryside, I can honestly say that I am overwhelmed with wonder. Yes that sounds corny, but I never thought I would experience this. I’ve been to Europe numerous times, but never to Germany, Austria, and Italy. They are all so different yet so beautiful. I can now look someone in the eye and say that yes I have ridden a gondola through Venice or that I have seen the home and house where Mozart was born and church in which he was baptized. When I am at home, its difficult to imagine any lifestyle that differs from my own, but the minute I arrive here I am immersed in an entirely different culture that just seems to make so much more sense. The people have a no- nonsense way about them but at the same time they always smile and help the little Americans find their way around their astounding cities.
Countless times my friends and I have been walking and we just stop to say “You know what, we’re in ITALY” or “Whoah, we’re singing in Salzburg.” And now the luggage saga is over…Madison, Sarah, Coach Kimrey, and I received a round of applause when we returned to dinner from the Venetian airport with our luggage in tow. The lack of luggage was a trying experience but I think it served a purpose: I am a chronic over-packer and I learned that you really can get around Europe with less than 50 pounds of shirts, jackets, jewelry, etc. All you really need is a group of about 50 friends willing to help you out and a gift that you want to share with the world. The luggage-less foursome all agreed that we would MUCH rather be here with nothing than at home with our stuff.
I get lost in thinking about everything we’ve done in just a few days. The first songs we sang in the church in Munich really made me realize the power of song; I was literally shocked at our sound as it echoed through the church and people began to clap. Munich, Salzburg, Venice….they have all been a whirlwind of memories that are impossible to summarize through word or picture, so what better way than to use song. The lyrics from our trip’s title song are completely appropriate: “I can tell the world about this, I can tell the nations I’m blessed. Tell ‘em what my lord has done.” This group is telling the world about how lucky we are to be traveling, especially with all tensions between nations and the economy the way it is. We are truly blessed; someone or something was definitely looking over us when Lufthansa found a new flight for us. We are blessed to have the families that support us, a school that can provide this kind of opportunity, and Mr. Hillard to direct a ton of crazy teenage Americans that produce memories that will last us forever.
~ Rosanne Sullivan
Ok so far we’ve been to Munich, Salzburg, and Venice, and it’s been real. Everything has been ridiculously cool and it is a very good feeling to think that we are able to do this.
Later.
-David Buck
I’ve been sitting on the bus next to Coach Kimrey since we started our bus ride from Venice to Rome, and we’ve been talking music, theology, movies, life, etc. Even though the Tuscan countryside is some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, twice now, these are the types of memories I will keep with me. The group has bonded tremendously and I have made friends with a lot of underclassmen I would have never known otherwise. I’ve also made it a point to be one of the first inside the Vatican so that I can see all of their expressions of awe.
Several times I’ve caught myself wondering, “How is it that we have an opportunity to do something so great?” Honestly, I have no idea. I think it all starts with the man I was introduced to 7 years ago in fifth grade, Mr. Hillard. I am convinced that without him, I would be sitting at home probably going to a movie with friends and still enjoying myself. I wouldn’t know what I was missing, but now I know I would be missing the most enriching, valuable experience of my young life. As we enter Rome, I am sitting here in awe and appreciation of Mr. Hillard, grateful for everything he has done and for him as a person. Thanks Hill.
Sincerely,
Taylor Smith
There are curious people, these Europeans. In a word: ornate. They seem to fancy-shmancy everything up. It bothered me at first… they would take normal breakfast pastries, croissants for example, and fill them with some sort of curious jelly substance: apple squish, raspberry delight, cumquat jelly. Surprising…. but delicious…. and the water… good ole water. They go and fill it with bubbles? An acquired taste for sure. Then I began to wonder: maybe Americans are just boring, maybe we need to spice things up, maybe we’re just jealous, maybe fancy-shmancy is a good thing. An epiphany. I then began to evaluate this country’s differences more carefully. 24 hour clock? Genius. Beautiful money that’s more like art than currency? Genius. Maybe we Americans a
I’ve also noticed that this fancy-shmancy country doesn’t always cause the fancy-shmancy themselves. Yes, they make their food, fashion and technology intentionally ornate. But as for the rest, unintentional. I’ve never enjoyed bus/car/train rides so much. We will drive for hours upon hours and no one will sleep because they don’t want to miss a blink. On trips in the US, people take sleeping pills so they can avoid looking out the window forced to endure the endless highway and interstate landscapes. In the span of one bus ride I saw the snowy Alps, the green Tuscan countryside, sheep, horses, McDonalds, Cafes, Ferraris, SmartCars, and unbelievable houses, cabins, shacks, castles, churches. I’ve gone from negative 11 degrees Celsius to positive 11 degrees Celsius. My jaw has been dropped the majority of the time.
The chaperones give us a phenomenal amount of independence. They allow us to explore each city on our own, attempt to order a meal from a person who speaks no English whatsoever, try to barter with a man on the price of a hot chocolate. They let us figure it all out on our own. This is terrifying at first, but shortly after it is unbearably pleasing. It’s nice to do things on your own, but even better in a foreign place.
This trip exceeded my expectations on so many levels. In Munich I saw the Olympic Stadium and the BMW Factory about 30 minutes after my arrival. In Salzburg I learned to ice skate right next to the enormous Salzburg cathedral where Mozart played. In Venice I took a gondola ride through the liquid streets of the city…. and I am preparing spend my New Year’s Eve on top of St. Peter’s Basilica. And all along, we’ve been singing our hearts out and delighting people to no end.
Mr. Hillard and Mr. Angel: thank you.
-lizzy bakhaus
For the first time in my entire life, words have failed me. This trip, these places, this experience are so unbelievable that words simply cannot do them justice. For me this trip will be a reel of images forever imprinted in my memory. Walking into my first cathedral in Munich, feeling my jaw drop as I looked up at the ceiling of St. Mark’s Cathedral waking up on the bus to look out the window and see the Austrian Alps covered in snow, singing in front of total strangers on St. Mark’s Square, and seeing Tuscany for the first time. It brings life into perspective. All the stress of senior year, constantly preparing for that next big step, it has been such a blessing to be stopped and totally lost in a moment.
-Sarah Prickett (PS: Dad and Mom, I love you! Thank you for always supporting me in whatever I do. And Daddy if I’m ever fortunate enough to come back, you’re coming with me.)
Ok its 1 am into the new year... I will share more later but tomorrow is a big day... Vatican Mass!!!! I need my sleep! Much love to everyone at home and Happy New Year from the Select!
Hillard
