My favorite architectural piece in Rome is St. Peter’s Basilica. The building itself was initially a pagan temple, then St. Peter decided to make it into a place for Christianity. He had Michael Angelo work on the decisions for the church, but he was too old to see it built. It took generations to complete, each one working on a specific section, or adding their final touches.

When we first walked in there we were all jet lagged and had been up for over 30 hours. Still, in that daze you couldn’t help but appreciate the genius that went into building the structure. The small letters near the top on the inside seem to be 2 maybe three feet, but they are actually 6 feet tall.

On the inside, not a single drop of paint was used. It’s hard to believe when there seems to be countless masterpiece painting. What I learned was that those paintings aren’t paintings at all, but expertly done mosaics.

Friday morning, we climbed the dome, and it was a lot more than any of us expected. We counted every last step (some with different numbers) but the right answer was 551 steps to the top, and there was no elevator down. It was a good morning exercise, and the view at the top was well worth it. Everyone looked so small, and I felt as though I was on top of the world, and like there was so much more to life.

I will remember the people, places, and things forever. Talking about the trip is one thing. Then going on it is another; a fast-paced experience with a lot of fun and a lot of breath taking sights. But when you’re back, you can truly reflect on the amazing time you had, and think about being at the top of a 448 foot dome with people that made you smile.