It all started when I was 9 years old.
My 4th-grade teacher, Mrs. Russell, had visited Egypt five times that I remember. But, I’m sure it was more. She had a passion for ancient history and easily passed on her exuberance to her students, including me.
The depth of expertise she had was incomprehensible. But somehow, she was able to communicate it in a way that thrilled a room of nine and ten-year-olds. I have no idea how she did it, but I was hooked.
We learned about hieroglyphics and practiced writing our names that way. It was just as much art as it was writing. We learned about the Nile River Delta and the rich, fertile soil that created much of the agriculture for the region. We each had individual projects we chose to emphasize a specific aspect of the Country. One person created a Sphinx with clay and wrote a report about its significance and how it was originally made. Another person built an irrigation system similar to what was used to bring water to the more deserted areas to grow crops. Yet another built a pyramid and explained the significance of the burial sites for the pharaohs.
It was all so captivating. It was also fascinating to learn all the intricate details of a king and queen and how they not only lived, but also what happened when they died, including ceremonially, and their beliefs about the afterlife. We know more details because of the tombs they have discovered over the years, which have confirmed what researchers surmised through various studies.
My 9-year-old mind simply could not absorb it all.
How could a civilization possibly be 5000 years old? How could the people design and build such massive monolithic structures in their time without the use of modern machinery? What minds could envision artistic creations so intricately to meld together gold, turquoise, precious stones, and minerals to paint and carve fine linens, jewelry, ornate furniture, and rock monuments?
It all seemed surreal….
Then it happened.
For the first time ever, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities was bringing a portion of the King Tutankhamon Exhibit to the United States for all to see. You can imagine the excitement in our classroom when Mrs. Russell shared this amazing development. We were beyond thrilled! We could go and see all we had learned with our own eyes.
There was one catch: only 5th-grade classes and above were allowed by the museum to be part of this chance of a lifetime. You could palpably feel the discouragement my classmates and I experienced when she shared that news with us. It was like quickly deflating the biggest balloon imaginable without the explosive pop.
But Mrs. Russell had a plan.
Because she had made connections in Egypt over the years, she thought we might be able to use what she and Mr. Metcalf, the other 4th-grade teacher, had taught us about the exquisiteness of Egypt, its history, development, and remarkable culture to convince the curators to make an exception.
So we got to work.
Every student created artwork, shared knowledge, and wrote in detail what it would mean for each of us to experience such a golden opportunity. We even guaranteed, without offering our firstborn children, that our behavior would be above and beyond expectations while touring through the exhibition. We all did our very best work. Our local newspaper even wrote a big article spotlighting our efforts in hopes of gaining an audience to influence the decision of the Ministry of Antiquities and the Museum. Mrs. Russell gathered it all together and sent it off…and then we waited.
I don’t remember how long it took to receive an answer. But I know for nine and ten-year-olds, it seemed like forever. Then one day, it arrived. The letter of response we had all been waiting for came in the mail. They were extremely impressed with our hard work and knowledge of all things Egypt. And because we had guaranteed our understanding of appropriate dress and behavior in such an exhibit, they said, “YES!”
I cannot possibly express how much this entire experience of learning about the ancient peoples of Egypt, including taking in this spectacular exhibit, influenced my love for the ancient world and its history overall.
Since then, I have dreamed of going to all of the places steeped in history and learning all I can about them. When we started our “Dream Board” three and a half years ago, of where we HAD TO GO, we chose Italy, Greece, and Egypt. We’ve only scratched the surface of Italy and Greece, and we still have yet to experience Egypt.
We have traveled to Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, the UK, the Republic of Georgia, Ireland, Switzerland, and Spain. Within all of those countries are more sights to see and more people to learn about.
Our dreams are still very much alive and burning within us.
The places we’ve seen, some that have become part of our daily walks, bring me right back to my childhood and the wonder that was nurtured as a nine-year-old. My jaw isn’t dropped in photos for no reason. Every ounce of my being is astonished at what I am beholding before my eyes!
Our hope throughout this journey is that we can convey that awe and wonder surrounding us if we simply stop, shift our focus, and allow our hearts to be open to the beauty and majesty of this World.
Perhaps, for whatever reason, travel isn’t possible. We are here for you. Let us show you places that give you joy from a distance. We’ll continue to write, share stories, pictures, and more.
Maybe you’ll get to travel on a short trip or vacation. We are here for you. We would love to help you navigate areas you would like to visit and that we have experienced. Follow along and feel free to ask us questions.
Or maybe, just maybe, you need inspiration to take a chance and create a different type of life that brings you peace and unending opportunities. We are here for you, too. Let us show you what following your dreams, no matter how long ago they were created, can do.
I remember that young girl. I'm so proud of the journey you take every day.