Wrapping it all up!

The last week of our trip flew by with many different stops and many different places. We attended a plant tour of the WeberHaus home builders, where we were able to see the factory builders at work. We were taken through a virtual reality tour that took us through different time periods to represent how homes have progressed. We were also able to walk through several modern sample homes that have been created to help show the end results of their productions. After our time at the WeberHaus we headed back to the Chateau to officially pack up and head to Trier, Germany for our next adventures. In Trier we visited many of the Roman ruins and remains, such as Porta Nigra, a large Roman city gate, the Imperial Baths, Trier Dom (cathedral), Church of our Lady, St. Peter's Fountain, and the famous Trier Amphitheater. 

WeberHaus Exhibit

The door that led to the homes throughout the ages

Waiting and resting before our tour began 

Egyptian times!

Jake enjoying some "Arabian nights"

Sample homes! 

TRIER, GERMANY

St. Peter's Fountain

Trier Dom (Cathedral)

The beautiful courtyard

The ceilings everywhere were just breathtaking

Having fun with statues!  

Inside Porta Nigra 

The amazing view from Porta Nigra

Market time! 

Walking through the Imperial Baths

Imperial Baths

Just catching Courtney, Gage, Charlie, Jake, and Caleb in their natural states  

Charlie, Jake, and I in front of the Imperial Baths

The Trier Amphitheater 

Five girls and a Gladiator!

After our fun, but fairly quick, trip in Trier, we headed to Paris, France! Many of us had throughly enjoyed the trip up to this point, however, there was just something about Paris that kept us full of anticipation. With a day full of train and bus rides, upon our arrival we met up with Aurelie, our tour guide, and attended our guided tour of the Louvre. We casually (or maybe not so casually) walked by the Eiffel Tower, with our full attention focused on this only dreamt of landmark. During our visit we were able to visit the Gardens and Palace of Versailles, attend a service at the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur de Montmartre, take a guided tour of the Saint Chapelle and Notre Dame, and explore the city,  become more familiar with the Parisian Metro system, see the Arc de Triomphe, visit the Eiffel Tower (a few times more), and take a boat tour around the city. 

Aurelie, our CEPA tour guide!

We're in...FRANCE!

Our Metro stop

The incredible Louvre

The group waiting for our Louvre tour

Mona Lisa!

The breathtaking Eiffel Tower!

Charlie at the Hard Rock Cafe

Matt, always smiling! 

Jake and his fan

Dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe in Paris

Palace of Versailles 

Gardens of Versailles

Courtney, Gage, and Trisha taking a quick break from walking

Replica of Milo of Croton

The Fountain of Apollo 

Our tour guide at the Palace

Fancy waste disposals... 

The Palace Opera House 

The beautiful stain glass work of Saint Chapelle

Notre Dame

Guided boat tour of Paris

Our next (and last) destination was Antwerp, Belgium. In Antwerp we visited Rubenhuis, where Peter Paul Ruben's artwork and creations were displayed, the Cathedral of our Lady, the Port of Antwerp, and the Antwerp World Diamond Center. 

Belgium Train Station

Rubenhuis

Gage and Dr. Sunderman mapping out routes

 Cathedral of Our Lady

Port of Antwerp presentation

Safety first!

Partaking in job simulators 

Containers! 

Guided tour of the Antwerp World Diamond Center! 

(No pictures were allowed)

Just some handsome men!

Trying out Belgium waffles! (We weren't disappointed.)

After twenty-four days of amazing adventures and experiences, we spent our twenty-fifth day traveling back to the United States. 

Heading home! 

I would have never imagined that I would be given the opportunity to attend such a trip of a lifetime. With so much learning and so much fun, getting to know the fourteen other students on our trip was merely icing on the cake. When thinking about our trip as a whole, each person brought such unique characteristics to the group, making each one a vital addition to every single experience. We learned how to appreciate so many different things, as well as accept many cultural differences from the different countries we visited. From crazy traffic in France, lack of air conditioning systems, sparkling water, bicycle riding, and even random grocery stores in shopping malls, we began to notice more about our own cultures and even learn a lot about ourselves. I believe that my favorite part about our trip, personally, was that with every single adventure and experience, my eyes were opened, helping me to learn more about myself, my life, and my experiences, because of what I was seeing in others.