This trip has been amazing with so many great people! I did not assume that we would get really close just because every group has its own dynamics but I think it is safe to say that we reached a level of being a small family. We all would do anything to help each other out. Having all academic sites and aspects set-aside the best part of the whole trip was just hanging out, talking, and playing cards with everyone! The second best part was going to the beach and swimming in the freezing cold beautiful blue water on Iona’s coast. This trip has taught me to be more open in my thinking and take time to look at the passions of other people. I loved getting to hear all the historians talk about the different sites. The conviction they put into their words makes you want to be just as interested as they are. I have never been a history person by any means but this trip has changed given me a new appreciation for history and all who delicate their time to help educate the general public. I like seeing how kings and queens and just average people from all the different time periods left their mark on history. Also they contributed to getting us to the advanced point we are today. Throughout history we have many common threads that tie us back to those who came before us. For example, showing wealth is nothing new! Even in the Viking age they would wear as much jewelry and metal as they could afford to show their status and even the color of their clothes showed their family’s statutes. England, Scotland, and Wales turned out to be very different then I expected them to be. They are all amazing places with some bold dressing people. Let’s just say it was quite a culture shock landing in a big city and the local drunk people are running to get on the train you just arrived from. Also I have never spent more then a few days in a city and for the majority of this trip that’s where we have been located. I am use to my small town in Iowa roads that only have one lane of traffic. I will never get use to cities and their transportation systems; I miss my car so very badly. I would never want to base my life around a train or bus schedule in my daily routine. In my point of view Scotland was the prettiest amongst all the landscapes that we viewed. Especially, the view along the coastlines of Oban and Iona were the most amazing views I have ever seen in my life. Before this class I never knew there were so many castles and Cathedrals throughout England. I also did not know that they were made in different styles such as gothic or Romanics. They each have a unique designs and figures. I am thankful for all that I have learned and the experiences I will never forget.
-Heather
castles and cathedrals 