Through the Eyes of a Traveler "The world's a book, and those who don't travel only read one page." -St. Augustine

The summer of 2011 was the first time I went out of the country. Through the history program at Flagler College, I went to Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England. It truly was an eye-opening experience. Although I traveled extensively throughout the United States, there was something special and unique about experiencing a different culture and history that was different from my own.

When I went to the United Kingdom, I saw and did things I never thought I would ever have the chance to; I took a bus tour of the Ring of Kerry, listened to a live Irish band at Temple Bar in Dublin, visited the Titanic Museum in Belfast, took a tour of an underground road in Edinburgh and attended high tea in York.

However, what the most memorable part of the trip was the three days I spent in London. My time in London just so happened to coincide with Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. I can now say that I stood on Tower Bridge in a group of 1.25 million people to watch Queen Elizabeth sail by on the River Thames. Not even the cold and rain could dampen my spirits and joy of being able to partake in such a unique event. Packed on the bridge like a package of sardines, I felt an overwhelming sense of national pride and community. I began to compare it to the United States. I could not come up with any sort of scenario or national event that would even come close to what I experienced in London. I do not think that even Fourth of July celebrations could be comparable to the queen's Diamond Jubilee. At that moment, the English people were proud to be English and did everything in their power to display their pride. Some were even camping on the bridge for days just to get a good spot to view the queen. In America, people camp out in line for days to get the newest gadget on Black Friday.

It was there, standing in the group of millions of people, that I truly began to appreciate the grand history of England. It was ingrained in me in school that "the sun never sets on the British Empire" and that England has a history of kings, queens, knights and colonialism. However, it is not until I actually traveled there and experienced it for myself that I understood the vastness of England and the United Kingdom as a whole.

I will never forget the day I spent on Tower Bridge in London. As an American, I got to experience a different sense of national pride outside of my own country. I am grateful that I could take part in an event that will never happen again.