Leonardo Da Vinci

I have a fascination with Leonardo Da Vinci's first attempts at human flight, with the bird wings he designed that attached to human arms. When I was little I did not understand why I could not make my arms into bird wings and it amazes me that someone as brillant as Da Vinci would've created something like that out of a child's fantasy. Of course, it's simply not possible for a human to be aerodynamic like a bird. Our bodies are not capable of flight, they weigh too much, we can't hold them in an aerodynamic position. I spent a good portion of the plane ride back from Venice trying to work out all the reasons humans can't fly and birds and planes can. The amount of slight adjustments needed to keep an airplane from spinning out of control are incredible. I watched as the wings were expanded slightly and then brought back in. A human could never do it, and it's amazing that birds can do it so easily, so naturally.

I really like the Da Vinci museum exhibit. It's amazing that one man thought of so indepth about so many different things. His inventions were brillant and things such as bird wings set the Wright Brothers on the right track. Without Da Vinci they probably would've simply died jumping off of buildings.

Significant Piece of Artwork

Ok, so I think it may have had something to do with the cut on the bottom of my foot but I felt a simpatico with the boy picking a thorn out of his foot, so I knew I had to chose him. He is not an original, he is a Roman copy The boy is just looking down and concentrating, holding his foot and plucking with confidence. The boy's eyes are missing but if they would've been there I don't think we would have seen any emotion in them. Some young kids would've had expressions of pain on their faces, or worry that they may not be able to remove the thorn. However, this is a stoic sculpture and the boy is learning virtue.

I love artwork like this, the kind that just capture's simple moments. Idid not know that there was much Roman artwork like this. I always thought of Roman/Greek art as revolving only around battles and gods and goddesses, things I've always thought of as being more significant than daily life events. This sculpture in a way changed my perception of Roman/Greek art. Although, I know that this boy later became a famous warrior, it still seems interesting that they would show such a simple life event.

How Rome has changed my perception of history?

This is a difficult topic for me because truthfully my perception on history has not been changed. I know that sounds sad and that being around all this history has not changed me.

I compare history to what we see on the news. If you've ever been personally involved even distantly on any event that is reported on the news, you've probably noticed that the details are slightly inaccurate. Maybe your local paper said you were a senior instead of a sophomore to report that you scored the game winning soccer goal. Even though many people will find out you're a sophomore when you don't graduate, there will still be many people who will continue to believe the false information. If your involved in something with more complex issues, such as the budget for the State of Ohio, you'll find out just how much the issues are narrowed down simply because an article on how all the services in the State would be affect would be so complex the newspaper would probably weigh 10 pounds.

People don't have their facts straight on issues that are happening today, just think about history, how much we speculate. We even seem to like to make wild guesses when we have no way of finding out if were right (like the drawing of how the ruins maybe, kind of, looked like back in Rome's hayday). I look at history just like I look at the news, with a grain of skeptism and the realization that a trail of money, personal relationships, and other factors may remain permantely hidden. They say that we need to learn history or else we are doomed to repeat it. I agree that you need to understand history to understand why society is the way it is, but I think we may be doomed to repeat it anyway.

I appreciate the opportunity to see these amazing structures and to learn more about a time in history I am less aware than the American Revolution. However, I think it is unlikely that my general opinion on history will change. I may just know more of it than before.

Ancient Structures

One interesting discussion I’ve had with French kids is what its like to grow up taking field trips to ancient ruins whereas Americans normally grow up going to see monuments that are only 200 years old. I guess it was strange to think that I had never seen anything that old before, whereas for Europe it was so normal. It seems strange to think that I am walking where gladiators walked. It also amazing to think someone could build something that would last that long. It also seems very lucky too that nothing has happened to destroy them.
I really don’t know how I feel about it. In some ways it seems incredible. However at the same time I realize that the same dirt and ground has been here since the dawn of time. Nothing on Earth ever really leaves unless we send it into outer space. From that stand point, it seems like law of averages says there will be something still standing for great stone and brick civilizations.

What I Hope to Gain From the Rome Experience

I first hope that I will know a good amount of Italian by the time I return to the States. I love languages and I want to be able to communicate in as many as possible. Besides, I'm learning that knowing nothing at all can be very frustrating.
I also hope that I will gain a better knowledge of my Catholic heritage. I'm not a practicing Catholic but I would like to better understand the culture and religion that connects both sides of my family.
I also hope that I will gain an understanding of Italian culture and lifestyle, it's something I know very little about.
I am not quite sure how this trip will change me. I know it will, everything always does. It's just never in exactly the way you think it will.