The Journey...
My mom always told me that life is an adventure, and part of the magic of life is discovering what the journey has in store. She used to pile my siblings and I into the car exclaiming, “Lets get lost!” One never knew where we would end up. A small park off the side of some back road, a fun ice-cream store, a cave, beach, lake, or whatnot. Her sense of adventure was endless, and traveling off the beaten path was always the best way to go. My dad instilled within us the love of nature, 
an open sky, the joy of camping, and the beauty a fire and good friends can offer. With age I have grown through experiences small and big. The overnight Girl Scout trip to the Boston Museum of Science, existed as a small stepping stone in understanding the glories of the world.
Holding the first really big investment I purchased for myself, I prepare to take a picture with my new Olympus digital camera. I am in Athens, Greece and the Day is February 24; it is my sixteenth birthday. Our tour guide had just taught us this bizarre dance performed by locals in bars and taverns. I ran a lap around the Olympic track, and experienced the power of an amphitheater in projecting one’s voice; built from stone thousands of years ago. It is my first time across the Atlantic Ocean and I am having the time of my life. A week prior I traveled with my school group to Rome, Italy, where I saw first hand some of the most famous pieces of work by Michelangelo, Leonardo DaVinci, and Raphael.
Happiness is to be found along the way, not at the end of the road, for then the journey is over and it is too late.
~ Robert R. Updegraff
Eclectic memories collected over a lifetime builds character for future experiences. There exists however, few moments and even rarer life altering experiences, in which one recognizes and has the ability to reflect upon, an identifying point of change. Unlike other individuals however, I have had the opportunity to live and recall a handful of experiences; and in May, the year of 2007, I engaged in such an event; that resides as one of my most memorable.
I was a freshman, entering two worlds, one of expectations and the other a reality, when landing in Saint Petersburg, Russia, I found myself in a state of awe. The feeling of actually making it to a country enriched in history far older than that of America’s, existed as a surreal experience. My mind struggled to keep up with processing all the sensory images around me. I remember listening to other’s comments and using them to help assist myself in organizing my thoughts of the atmosphere and city I was viewing. Although I had traveled to foreign countries in the past, this culture held a magic which captivated me, and for the next month it became my home. A home I longed to return to.
Stepping out of my yellow crocks and into socks and sneakers, I found myself excited to learn, explore and delve within all their society had to offer. I lived in a youth hostel at the center of the city; with my professor and eight other individuals. In the morning or on rainy afternoons we would pile into a room for lessons. Each morning I was greeted good morning by Temor, one of the cutest, and most caring elderly ean one could meet. He served us a breakfast of: hard boiled eggs, bread, and cereal; in addition to cheese which I generally gave to another member within the class. At night 
we after visiting the market around the corner of the hostel, groups took turns cooking local cuisine for dinner; utilizing the small pantry at the end of the second floor. Through exploration and tours I was able to discover the wonders and nuances of Saint Petersburg.
Built on a swamp, the city buildings were infested with rodents. To eliminate mice from roaming within domains and destroying precious items, citizens developed a sanitary, efficient, and effective solution to their problem; which I found fascinating. They allowed cats to reside within buildings other than home dwellings, such as museums and restaurants. If an individual is lucky they may actually have the chance to see one walking around; most of the time however, the cats are hiding or sleeping on their little kitty beds.
Means of transportation were similar to that of any other city in addition to a few shocking differences. Their metro system is the deepest in the world, and exists as apart of their national archives. If one stands on the wrong side of the escalator, an individual is sure to have a few angry Russians not afraid to speak their mind as they’re run over. 
A lack of lines on the road helps ensure a flow of traffic. Cars double park on sidewalks and the side of roads. Taxis are locals’ personal cars and nothing more than an organized legal form of hitchhiking, or unplanned carpooling with a negotiated price. A vast amount of options an individual can assume to travel Peter the Great’s pre-planned city, a window to the west. Sharing the streets with cars are trolley and auto buses. The latter of the two is connected to electric 
wires suspended above the streets. In addition to buses, metros, and taxis, one could also travel outside the city via a shuttle van or train. I however, prefer trekking it through the streets on foot, through courtyards, over canals, and along backroads.
Although Russia and its remarkable history was an experience to remember, the people on the trip and the lessons learned, allowed me to grow as an individual. I made nine friends who showed me the joys of life. I discovered that one does not need to drink alcohol in order to sit in a bar to socialize and have fun when with good company, Russian food is better than American, how to relax, and that I am a likeable person even with all my unique corks. I wanted to give to others, what my friends showed me, to make a difference. In particular, I dreamed of providing the opportunity for an experience, better than that of my own, for another individual. A chance I was honored to receive in April and May of my junior year in college. The lessons, confidence and independence 
I learned and gained not only shaped me into the individual I have become today, but also opened doors to future opportunities.
It is November of 2009, a mid-afternoon Thursday before Thanksgiving break, and I find myself surfing the internet. I am in the mood to travel and so I’ve taken up the task of investigating interesting places to visit when I stumble upon a New Years trip. Excitedly I turn to my roommate and close friend, asking her what she had planned for the end of December break after the 28th. She replies with one of those hesitant, “Nothing…Why…” responses, a friend or family member gives, not completely aware of the entire picture and the sudden cause of your excitement, and whether or not they truly want to be. I quickly share my discovery, and not even a month later we find ourselves, (and Angel, a small plush bear I promised my younger cousin I would take with me to snap a few pictures of it abroad for her school project) on a plane out of New York City, headed for Amsterdam.
Paired with our skills acquired from past travel experiences, and our trusted guide books, we ventured out into the first of three countries with a limited travel budget, and the desire to see everything. The canals are frozen over, and it resides as a special occasion of celebration for they had not been frozen for close to forty years. Many take advantage and skate along the ice. Locals tell us of events that occurred in the past when the waterways froze over. I visit a small fishing and farming village, on the outskirts of the city, where one can see the process to make the traditional hand made wooden shoes. We observed how local cheese is made and even get to try some specialties and admired the many windmills. Back in Amsterdam, we took a quick glance down the red district to say we’ve been their, visited Ann Frank’s house, and the Van Gogh Museum. The day of New Years we ice-skated in the center of the square, and watched a display of multiple firework shows from our hotel window.
A Sacrifice Wholly Consumed by Fire
By,
Michelle Kilgour
My heart is torn
___It weeps for them
_____But tears, do not come
My body aches
___The world is stilled
_____But silence isn’t enough
My soul calls out
___But who’s there to hear
_____Past shadows move
_________Across my eyes
My mouth is bitter
___Who is this other
______A corpse
_________looking back
___________Weeps at the image it perceives
Laughter
___Brings light to Darkness
______Softening the hardness
_________Torn in two
___________At what the world has…
______________Done
I cannot speak
___For the broken ones
______Their experience stifles
_________All words
___________Silence does no justice
For wounds
___Inflicted by monsters
______And the ones
_________Forever bearing
___________The scars
______________Of stars!
Not long after we traveled to Paris, France by way of Brussels, Belgium. After, admiring local statutes and buildings, hunting for doilies for my friends sister, and trying some of the infamous chocolate (I like Russian chocolate better) and waffles, It was back on the bus to make way for France. A boat tour of the city, a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower, among other attractions Paris has to offer, we soon realized our fun was coming to a close. We were to join the rest of the group we were traveling with for a final dinner before departure, and had a free day to explore the city. After great entertainment, while waiting in line to climb to the top of Notre Dame Cathedral, from a guy in an old man’s mask; we took the train to Versailles. We enjoyed a nice dinner and afterwards our tour guide brought those who wished to come, on one last adventure. My friend and I opted not to pay for the elevator and instead decided to, run up the hundreds of steps, climbing to the top of a hill where the church of the sacred heart sits, overlooking the entire city.
Life adventures have led me to lands beyond my own back door. The journeys I have embarked upon have shown me the beauty of Canada when visiting the glories offered within Québec, Montréal, and Niagara. I explored the outskirts of the Netherlands, Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris. For my sixteenth birthday I learned first hand of the African dust storms that reach Greece, enjoyed the splendors of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, traveled by train to Moscow, I walked the streets of Saint Petersburg, and toured by boat along the waterways. I traveled the whole east coast, road the largest wooden rollercoaster, and placed my feet in a great lake. I hiked up mountains, swam in the ocean, and explored caves. I slept beneath stars, cooked in candle light, and dreamed of the unknown, places I have yet to visit, and locations I am still unaware of. My journey of life has just begun and now I find myself graduating college, nervous and anxious about what new adventures await me in future journeys to come.
A Commencement
By,
Michelle Kilgour
There exists a path within
______The world to pursue
Claiming dreams of your choice
______Mark your place across
The four corners of the globe
______A talented class
With journeys for the taking
______Opportunities
Opens doors, to adventures
______For one to explore
Always remember your friends
______When times are tough, for
Elmira College exists
______Forever and always, your
Home, where life teaches
______And individuals grow!
