Mitch Kenter – 1st week Reflection

Upon my arrival in Greece, I did not know what to expect. With little knowledge about the country and the cities we would be visiting, I began to get a little nervous. I didn't know the language, any of the cities, or anyone from DePauw joining me on this trip. Within the first week of the trip, all my worries faded. Everyone I met was so nice and the beauty that surrounded the terrain of the country was breathtaking at every turn. I have traveled to Europe before, but Greece was so different from any of the other European countries that I had been to. One of the most amazing parts of Greece was the extent of the ancient ruins surrounding the cities and the people living there. During the first week of the trip, my favorite part was definitely seeing the Parthenon in Athens. Professor Seaman was not lying when he said, "you will never forget where you were when you first see the Parthenon." It was absolutely marvelous. I still have a difficult time wrapping my mind around the fact that this temple is over 2000 years old and still standing today.
The architecture was pure genius and I have no idea how they were able to build such a magnificent building in 447 BC. I don’t think any of the buildings we build today will ever reach the standard of this temple. One part of the Parthenon that I found interesting was the curvature of the floor that Professor Seaman had pointed out in our pre-departure classes. From a distance, the temple looks flat, but you could see the curve when up close, which has helped stabilized the temple to this day. Going to the Acropolis museum afterward continued to peak my appreciation for the temple as I was able to visualize what the Acropolis would’ve looked like with all its statues and designs surrounding the area. It truly blows my mind seeing ancient ruins such as the Parthenon and realizing that these buildings and statues were around during the birth of civilization, and they still remain here today. I can’t wait to see what else this country has in store.

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