During our first day in Jerusalem, I had the fantastic experience of walking Via Dolorosa and the Holy Sepulcher Church. Before visiting these locations, part of our “classroom hours” (they were just lectures on the bus rides) discussed the importance of these sites to Christianity. Via Dolorosa is the pathway that Jesus took while carrying the cross, on his way to be crucified. Among this walk, there are 14 stops that are important to the legend of the crucifixion, which included where he was sentenced, when he picked up his cross, where he dropped it, and the ending destination where he was crucified which is in the Holy Sepulcher Church. The Holy Sepulcher Church is without a doubt my favorite place our group has visited so far. The architecture we learned dates back to the Byzantine Empire and is 1,688 years old. Inside is magnificent, with high ceilings, gold trimming, mosaics on the walls and ceilings, and hundreds of lanterns and candles all over the place. This church encompasses what a sacred site is. This place of worship for millions of Christians around the world is considered a tie between the most holy site, the other one being The Church of the Nativity (which I get to visit tomorrow is Bethlehem!). Inside the church, there were visitors from all over the world. I heard languages such as Japanese, Chinese, Hebrew, English, French, and German. It was an eye-opening experience to see the vastness of the world’s leading religion. I have never been to a place where I have witnessed a thousand people all congregating together to be under the roof of their beloved God. In a world (and city) that is so divided and consistently fighting, being in a place where people all come together for a common purpose and express deep divine emotions together was an essential memory for me.