Throughout my childhood, I've been to tons of museums. While my mom and sister loved to explore all the cool shops a city had to offer, my dad and I would find the most unique museum or historical site to go to. It was always an adventure for us.
While we were at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, I was reminded of those adventures my dad and I used to take. While my physical experience was, in my opinion, not the most pleasant, my spiritual experience was something I've only experienced few times before. I remember walking through the Medieval Ages and Renaissance sections of the Uffizi and the artwork was absolutely incredible. I've never been much of a person for artwork, but getting to see the Primavera and The Birth of Venus paintings by Sandro Botticelli up close felt almost like an out of body experience.
[The Birth of Venus by Sandeo Botticelli] [Primavera by Sandro Botticelli]
Seeing those masterpieces in the flesh reminded me of just how extraordinary of an experience I'm getting to live. It felt like a dream, me getting to go into that museum. I won't lie, I wasn't the biggest fan of the museum while I was there in the moment–given the high concentration of people and my newfound fear of large crowds–but I can't deny afterwards the rush of thinking "I really just did that; I just got to see some of the most famous masterpieces in the history of the earth."
It's crazy, but it reminded me of the time I got to see a replica of the Titanic in Pigeon Forge a few years ago. It was one of those cool but cheesy museums where you got to walk through the Titanic and you were given a little card that had an actual person who was on the ship, and at the end you got to see the history of your person and whether or not you survived. I felt the same rush after processing my adventure through the Uffizi Museum as I did finishing my visit at the Titanic museum. It was that same indescribable rush of "wow; I just did that."
I'd like to go back to the Uffizi Gallery sometime. Although crowded, I can't deny that it was an experience unlike any other, and I'd love for the opportunity to go and see what else the gallery has to offer. Hopefully I'll be able to explore some of the more modern works there; while the ancient art pieces are definitely stunning, it would be cool to see the contrast of the old with the new.