I Love Museums.

Another self-discovery that was made in college that continues to amaze me.

If I went back in time and told my 16-year-old self that I would be eager to enter the Philadelphia Museum of Art and explore paintings and other creations from Early European to Modern American art, I would laugh at you.  But today an intense feelings of fascination and satisfaction flow through my body as I entered this building of history, innovation, and culture with my boyfriend last week.

Many people become bored at the idea of walking around and observing this of the past while annoying, "older folks" take their time in reading and comprehending every single word on the wall plaques that describe the object displayed next to them.

I'm one of those annoying people.
Seriously, what a WONDERFUL opportunity to expand your knowledge and fulfill unanswered questions about the things that occurred before your time.  New information is there waiting for you on a silver platter.

On an afternoon in NYC free of any plans, you may expect a girly college student such as myself to spend her time shopping or site-seeing.  Instead, I eagerly entered the Museum of Modern Art, where I remained for 3 1/2 hours, curiously observing every piece I could get close to.

There is just something so satisfying to me about spending the day discovering new facts.  In high school, facts were spit out to me on a daily basis.  In college, I'm on the hunt for the hidden treasure.  I'm not afraid to say it: Hi, my name is Marissa, and I'm a museumaholic.

The first signs of this addiction came fairly early in life, although I would have never admitted at the time that I actually enjoyed the time I spent exploring the Smithsonians in D.C. on a family vacation when I was 14 (I was way too cool for it all - sadly I fed into the secondary school anti-literature, anti-intellectualism culture.)  However, the addiction came into full-bloom during my time living in the magical city of Florence.

The city itself is like a giant museum, displaying the frescos, sculptures, and architectural masterpieces of the Renaissance period.  I jaw dropped time and time again as I viewed new, breathtaking pieces on a weekly basis in my Art History and Medici Family History courses.

I felt as though I hit a gold mine within the first couple of weeks of attending these two classes.  Not only was I going on a field trip to a museum or church that featured drop-dead gorgeous and famous artwork, but I had my own personal tour guide to tell me the hidden meanings behind each piece.  My professors were encyclopedias of Italian history and culture, and I'm not ashamed to say that most classes, I was the one asking all the questions.

I think my favorite spot in Florence is Palazzo Vecchio.  Throughout all my time in Florence, nothing took my breath away like the frescoes created by Vasari in the Sala di Cinquecento.  I had trouble fathoming all of the detail in color and texture incorporated in the large room.  The rest of the palace was amazing as well.  Each room held a different purpose and had its own unique design, typically according to the specific requests of members of the Medici family.  I loved hearing about all of the transformations the palace had undergone through Medici reign, and how the artwork inside is preserved today.

Outside of Palazzo Vecchio (I took this one myself!

Although Italian culture and history holds a special place in my art, bring me into any building where I will be able to soak up some new knowledge and I'll feel in my element all over again.