This month, Fr. Jim has given me permission to turn the Spotlight article over to Amber Shepherd…..so:

Spotlight
On
Amber Shepherd's trip to Europe


My name is Amber Shepherd and I recently traveled to Europe with a group called, "People to People." I traveled, not only by myself, but with a group of about thirty people. My delegation and I met up with another group from Savannah, and together we traveled throughout Italy, France, and Spain. All throughout my trip, I experienced the different cultures and they were immensely different from our culture. I would have to say that Italy was the best part of the WHOLE trip. Mainly, I liked the fact that Italy had so much history involved within the entire city. The Roman Coliseum and the old roman city was basically in the midst of everything. My favorite place in Italy would have to be Assisi, because this place was not only beautiful but magnificent. After spending six or seven days in Italy, we left for France which was very interesting. We visited Monaco where we saw the prince (now the king) and the places where all the famous athletes live. The French really do love their bread and their cheese. My home stay family was where I got the best amount of cultural exchange. I mean the daughter would go to work and the son would go hang out with his friends. They acted like teenagers here and the parents dress like American teenagers. After our home stay, we left for Carcasonne where "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" was filmed. I would have to say my favorite places in France would have to be Monaco (although I know it is a Principality in the middle of French territory) and Carcasonne. After Carcasonne, we visited Tautavel (located close to Spain) to scale up a mountain to visit an archaeological dig site. After the dig site, we scaled back down and swam in the river. We had lunch and afterwards, we had an educational meeting on the possibility the evolution is true. Finally, off to Spain we go, where we saw the architecture of Gaudi. He was an awesome architect and artist, whose work made an impact on the way Spain looked. After visiting Gaudi's work, we had dinner and there was a show with dinner. We saw Flamenco dancing and I thought that the dance showed a great deal of the Spanish culture. In Madrid, Spain we visited a sword factory, the bull farm, and the Prada Museum. The Prada Museum was full of works by less renowned artists like Goya. My most favorite place in Spain would have to be the Hard Rock Café. Spain was not as interesting as Italy, to me at least. My trip lasted for about twenty days and in those days I learned quite a bit. I achieved a better understanding of foreign cultures. I think that this experience has made me grow mentally into a better person; I came back with a better understanding of how people are different. I came back being ambassadorial in many aspects, opening doors for other people and helping them when they need it most. I think that it the best experience anyone could have.

By: amber shepherd