In the springtime haze of Athens, the Acropolis stretches out over the city almost as if it were otherworldly. It is not hard to imagine how the ancient Greeks thought that the gods and goddesses dwelled in inaccessible yet apparent places like the Acropolis and Mount Olympus. Every turn in Athens seems to yield a few view of the Acropolis, which is perched atop a centrally-located hill in the city. As we explored ancient ruins and quaint cobblestone alleyways, the pillars of the building were never far from view.

Greece, particularly Athens, is often considered a root source of Western knowledge, from art and literature to math, medicine, and even sport. On the ground, this rich historical tradition manifests itself in modern Greek culture, including the famed Acropolis Museum built ahead of the 2008 summer Olympic games held in Athens. State of the art from its architecture to its artifacts, the museum is a captivating place to spend a day wandering lost in thought. Every floor, exhibit, and piece of art in the Acropolis Museum is intricately designed to evoke the grandeur of Greece in the creative imagination. White marble statues fill the halls of the building, while ancient remnants from the actual Acropolis are carefully positioned to seem as though they were never even moved.

In effect, the museum is a reflection of Greek culture, one that takes great pride in its contributions to mankind, but often falls short in terms of practicality. It is hard to forget the financial troubles that faced the country around the same time as the recession in the United States, and the Acropolis Museum is no exception; in fact, it cost an exorbitant amount of money to build at a time when the country could not pay back its foreign debts, and was thus bailed out by the European Union. Regardless, the ebbs and flows of tourists traversing through the building make one thing clear — the Greeks, in their endless quest to push forward, can brush past obstacles in a way few other cultures can.

The building also took on a greater meaning to me in a personal sense. Throughout the few days we were in Athens, I was able to look back on photos of my grandparents as they visited the same sites that I did, except just about ten years earlier. I gazed upon the same Parthenon and Acropolis that they did, context and thoughts surely different, but much more the same: an appreciation for culture and art, and a genuine curiosity for the world around me. I count it a great blessing to be related to them.

After another walking tour around important archaeological, biblical, and artistic sites, we ended the night at a rooftop bar with a crystal-clear view of the Acropolis. The ancient Greeks believed it would stand there for eternity in its cosmic glory; two thousand years later, they have yet to be proven wrong.