I never would have believed anyone if they told me I would get to go to Italy and see some of the greatest art ever created. At the Uffizi in Florence, I had the privilege of viewing several works by Botticelli. While every single Botticelli painting was incredibly beautiful, I had an intimate experience with one of them. As you come around the corner of the Botticelli room, a second room flooded with people comes into view and there, in the center of the far wall, hangs The Birth of Venus. I was awestruck. I had only seen this painting before in books and on the internet; I never thought I would stand five feet from the real thing. For someone who had been documenting the entire trip so far on my expensive camera, I could not muster the ability to take a picture right away. I stared at the painting for a good five minutes and was so overcome by the beauty of it I began to cry. Eventually I did work up the strength to take a photo because I never wanted to forget standing in front of this original masterpiece, although I don’t think I ever will. I walked away from the painting after several minutes but found myself coming back again. This time I stood completely still and just took in the beauty of the piece. Again, I cried because I just couldn’t believe I was standing in front of what I was standing in front of. It may be cliché, but the Birth of Venus is the most beautiful painting I’ve ever seen.

Things I saw in Florence: