Seeing the World Through a Different Lens Caroline Bridges

As I savor the rich chocolate and caramel found in my Magnum ice cream bar, I am suddenly brought back to the cobblestoned streets of Luxembourg, just one of the few places I remember eating the same delectable treat. I hear the festive Christmas music playing as rosy-cheeked children and parents dance merrily around each other in their thick knitted sweaters. I then take one final bite, and I am reminded of the most engraved memory of them all – the feeling of my grandparents’ hands each wrapped in my own.

Not many individuals can say that they have traveled to over twelve different countries in the course of a lifetime, but even fewer can say they accomplished that goal within the first sixteen years of life. Thankfully, I was blessed with grandparents who believed exposing my family and me to the cultures of the world was essential to our learning and understanding of history. To this day, I am impacted by their fascination with traveling, and my enthrallment will resonate with me for the remainder of my lifetime. My grandparents truly embodied perseverance and took the initiative to make my cousins and me well-learned individuals by sharing the experiences the world has to offer us. From sitting on Shakespeare’s feather...