Travelling Through Time

There was absolutely no way I was going to wake up at five o’clock in the morning.
But something pulled me out of my bunk early that day - an unexplainable curiosity, a fear of missing out. I dressed quickly and walked out of my room to the loading deck of the cruise ship; we had docked at the island of Patmos in Greece, and a few of my keen classmates were also up and ready to explore. As we step off the ship and cram ourselves into a small van, I can’t help but wonder why the hell I am awake at this god-awful hour. The sun is up already, and Patmos looks like every other island to my sleep deprived eyes. I can’t help but let my lids flutter shut as the old Greek driver bumps and jars the van along the road.
After what seems like seconds, I am shaken awake by one of my classmates. We’ve arrived at the monastery where the Apostle John was exiled centuries ago - where the book of Revelation was first envisioned. I yawn and wipe the sleep from my eyes, still apathetic about where I am standing, what I am seeing.
Our group is met by a man who leads us down a steep, narrow staircase on the side of the monastery. As we round the building, one of the most beautiful views I have ever experienced meets my eyes. The early morning sun dances and plays over the landscape of Patmos, and I can see for miles - the colorful houses, the strange trees, the Mediterranean Sea glistening between the surrounding islands. I take a moment to process this sight before entering the monastery.
For the second time that morning, I am speechless as I slowly begin to realize exactly where I am standing: I look around the room where John had visions of the apocalypse centuries ago, and I begin to understand the enormity of this moment. I could envision John sitting at a little table writing, or sleeping on a cot in the corner of the room. I could feel the ancientness of the place, the history behind it. I looked behind me out the door, the same door that John looked out of eons ago, and viewed the modern version of the same landscape he would have seen. As I turned back to look again at the rich history surrounding me, I knew that this was a moment I would never forget.