Europe and Beyond
Hey everyone! Its Mack,
I have had some amazing opportunities and experiences in my life that have lead me here today. One of the reasons I fell in love with photography is because with every picture I take or see, it brings me back to a memory, a time I can look back on and feel the joy, pain, or sadness within a picture. Whether the picture is one of mine or someone else’s, I can imagine myself in that place, even remembering what it felt like to be behind the camera. Any time I get the chance to travel I get to photograph my trip and share all the eye opening places I have been. Traveling has opened my mind up to new experiences, ideas, and plans for the future. In my Junior year of High School, I went on a trip to travel along the Mediterranean sea throughout Europe with my friends, classmates, and teachers. Every year at Resurrection College Prep High School there is a spring and summer trip, allowing students to experience different cultures and broaden their views on other countries.
Getting the chance to travel at such a young age, without my mom right by side seemed terrifying! I was scared of going out of the country for the first time ever and not having my mom to guide me through it. How could I travel without her? What if I got lost from the group? What if I miss home too much? How was I going to go two weeks away from her? All these thoughts were rushing through my head, but I knew I couldn’t let them hold me back and with the reassurance from my mom, teachers, friends, and family I decided to go on the trip. Every month we had a meeting with all the students and teachers to plan for the trip. We learned how to budget our money, pack essentials, and got a glimpse at what we were going to learn and see abroad. As we got closer and closer to the departure date I grew more and more anxious to finally be somewhere new.
The day finally had arrived and we were off to the airport. As soon as my mom left and pulled away from the airport, I started to tear up and missed her already. The only thing pushing me to still go was the fact that I, Mackenzie LaPorte, was about to fly across the country and experience something unknown, making unforgettable memories with my closest friends.
After endless hours on the flight, our plane landed in Barcelona, where we spent the next few days in. We learned about its history and excitement in the city. We saw Barcelona’s architecture and treasures such as; Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell, took evening strolls down the famous La Rambla and had a Flamingo dance lesson.
From Barcelona, we took a bus to Provence. In Provence we stopped in Carcassonne, it was a medieval city that had been featured in many movies. We got to explore castles, try different foods, and see what a medieval town looked like.
Our next stop was Nice, there we learned about the Roman Empire and its influence on France, saw a 161-foot tall bridge that is still standing after 2,000 years, and went to the city of Arles and walked on a Roman Arena and Theater.
The next day we spent in Nice, we got to have a beach day and went on a boat ride. The boat ride was my favorite part of the whole trip. Feeling the wind up against my burnt skin and looking out into the clearest water I’ve ever seen, it was a dream-like feeling. After the beach, we got to visit a perfume making factory and shopped around for our friends and family back home.
We followed the coast all the way to Florence, Italy and got to visit its Leaning Tower and the Cathedral. We tried incredible food and strolled the streets where Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci got their inspiration. Our last stop of the trip was in Rome. We saw the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, Colosseum, and even got to make our own pizza! After the trip was over and we all made it safely back home, we got to share our endless stories and memories to our friends and family.
Throughout the whole trip, I was constantly taking pictures to save the memories and document the grand beauty that was all around me. This trip was unforgettable and made me desire more experiences around the world. I want to thank anyone and everyone who helped and encouraged me to go on this trip. I found a love in traveling, photography, and myself.
Hope you enjoyed,
☆ Mack ☆
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