Dreams do come true!

A view of only a small portion of the city of Prague

   As children, we find ourselves filled with wonder at the immensity of the world and all it holds.  While childhood has limitations, we discover that these limitations can suddenly disappear, opening up a cornucopia of possibilities just waiting to be had by those that possess the will and desire to simply reach out and grasp them.  Children dream of being princesses, knights in shining armor, cowboys, world travelers.  The list could continue for an eternity, but I, for one, was the child who became irrevocably transfixed when foreign lands filled with new people, new places, and endless adventures were mentioned in conversation.  I never thought that these childhood dreams of mine would one day become an unforgettable reality.
   My journey to Europe is one that will forever be ingrained in my memory.  From the moment I stepped on the plane in Nashville, Tennessee, I knew that what I was about to experience would leave a lasting impression on my life.
   The excitement I felt seemed nearly tangible in the hours before touching down on European soil.  My mind was running wild with anticipation.  What would the landscape look like?  How would the local peoples react to our presence?  In what ways would the society as a whole be different from the fast-paced, American lifestyle we'd abandoned just hours before?  I hoped to find answers to these questions along with all the others that seemed to be endlessly forming in my head when our voyage began.
   Needless to say, this hope of mine was met in a way that was nothing short of outstanding, extraordinary, marvelous, and just about any other word that could be used to describe an event that took any preconceived expectations and completely shattered them.  The people, the places, they left me with memories that will never be forgotten.  This incredible expedition of mine instilled in me an appreciation of home and all that it means; yet, it simultaneously filled me with a hunger to encounter the things unknown and relish in all that can be discovered in this remarkable world we live in.