There are about 130 museums in Paris, the majority displaying its rich history. While visiting some of these museums, I took the time to stop and read about what I was seeing, something I had not done before. Visiting museums became one of my favorite things to do while studying abroad and I tried to go to one in every country I visited. Museums gave me an opportunity to learn a little about the history of the country I was visiting. It wasn’t until studying abroad that I really realized the importance of history and that learning occurs at all stages of life in different ways.

        Visiting museums allowed me to gain some context into what I was learning. When visiting art museums, I was able to look at paintings and understand what the artist was trying to portray, as opposed to just seeing a pretty picture. A part of my study abroad program was to write a blog about living in your host city. One week I wrote about the many different museums of Paris and the best way to visit them. Many of the museums I visited had relics and artifacts from many historical periods. These items allowed me to understand the culture during these times and appreciate them more. Learning about painting in class and then visiting an art museum allowed me to appreciate the technique and perspective of the artist. A lot of things found in these museums and some others I visited abroad were from other places, such as Africa. Each museum I visited allowed me to realize how connected people and countries have been over the course of history. When I visited the British museum, I noticed that many of the artifacts were from other countries, highlighting Britain’s colonial history.

      This semester I am taking Controversies in the Politics of Global Regions: Africa (POLI 103A) and one of the first things covered was the colonization of Africa. In order to understand how Africa came to be today, it is important to look back at its history. This class has taught me that events that occurred many years ago constantly have an impact on today. Colonialism was a time when people were travelling to learn and explore, not just for fun. This is how I wanted my mindset to be during study abroad. I did not want to come home with a few good travel stories but with something meaningful. Studying abroad taught me that there is something to be learned everywhere, you just have to be paying attention. After this experience, I know I will make an effort to visit a museum or have a cultural experience any new place that I go.  

     Study abroad is a part of my history now. It has left an impact on me because I allowed it to and got everything out of it I could. As I was writing my blogpost about all of the museums I visited, I realized how much I would have missed out on if I had not visited so many. Even though many of the items displayed in museums are from long ago, they made me feel closer to history. These artifacts are still relevant today because history is still relevant today.