Stonehenge: Salisbury, England

I was 12 years old, excited and on school vacation. I had never been out of the United States. For the first time in my life, I found myself aboard a large, silver airplane flying over a large, continuous ocean. When I looked down from the plane, I could see clear blue water for miles around. I was up so high that one could practically reach out and touch the columns of billowy white clouds. For a fraction of time, I imagined I was a giant bird, winging through the day and night. The flight seemed to last forever. It was the longest flight that I had ever experienced.

After the plane finally landed in London, England, I was very eager to head off to see one of the greatest wonders in the world, the massive grey, stone circle known as Stonehenge. It is located in Southern England near the City of Salisbury. I rode on a tour bus to get to Stonehenge. The bus slowly made its way through the heavy, urban traffic in London, escaping into the English countryside. The road narrowed from a four-lane divided motorway down to a two-lane, hilly country road. The tour bus traveled along the winding country road, through green fields and groves of English oak trees. The road felt so small and narrow that I thought that it would turn into a dirt path, and that I would have to walk the last miles to Stonehenge.

Then to my surprise, the roadway left the hilly countryside, and I was on a flat, endless plateau. Stonehenge appeared in the distance, growing larger as I approached this monument. I had to walk the last distance to get up close to this massive testament to the early English inhabitants who created this work of art. It is believed that the Druids, a religious cult built Stonehenge. Some historians believe that Stonehenge represents a giant clock, like a sundial, while others think it was a religious shrine, or a place where the Druids carried out human sacrifices.

The day I arrived at Stonehenge, the sky was clear, and the air moderately warm, without a cloud in sight. I tilted my head back and observed the atmosphere. I could see the light blue, wondrous sky for miles around. I felt the sunlight warming my body. When I looked down, I could see brilliantly lit emerald green grass, sparkling and swaying with the breeze, like ocean waves flowing across the Salisbury plain and crashing into the starkly grey rocks of Stonehenge. This giant monument is actually located in a place where no trees are found. It is on the Salisbury plain and near the Atlantic Ocean.

Once I begin to approach this wondrous creation, I felt as though I was walking on clouds. Soft cushions of swaying, green grass supported my weight. The almost silent sound of the ocean wind blowing across the plain was not enough to overcome the chirping grasshoppers, which I could hear off in the distance. A cool, ocean breeze sends a soft chill up my spine, while I stand in awe of Stonehenge.

This chill stimulated my mind and gave me a feeling of ecstasy. I could smell something in the air, the fresh scent of pollen, from a few flowers growing near the monument. I could see several delicately placed stones. To see the tops of these stone pillars, I would have had to climb a ten-foot tall ladder. Stonehenge appears like an image painted by the heavens. It possesses such beauty that no artist could ever conjure such a picture. The rectangular stones sit motionless in the grass, withering through all of time. Attractive to the eye, stones standing erect, it creates a massive ring. It is the great mystery, Stonehenge.

I took an everlasting memorable walk around these pillars. I saw nothing but grass and stones, acting like a focal point in the field. My eyes gazed directly upon the stones, and I felt as if I could not take my eyes off them. They uncontrollably asphyxiated me. The stones are rough and rugged to the touch. Speckles of gray and white form these pillars with such gentle radiance. Some portions of the stones contain yellow-greenish lichen. When I looked around, I saw nothing but grass surrounding Stonehenge.

As I was standing outside, looking into the heart of Stonehenge, light illuminated the interior of the monument, lighting the grass inside its ring with a certain gem like sparkle. I maintained a steady gaze, like a child attracted to a campfire. I realized there was truly nothing in the center. It is empty! There is no wildlife near Stonehenge. The place is desolate and vacant. I noticed a few insects, such as some ants dragging food up the sides of the stones, and I could see a glimpse of a snake crawling through the grass near the monument.

After taking this adventure to England and seeing Stonehenge in person, not just as a picture in a book, it filled my heart with emotion. Although the monument is grey stone, contrasted with a sea of green grass, it left an image in my mind of sparkling gold. It left an everlasting impression on me. I turned my back and walked away from its powerful presence. Now it is physically gone, lost in the tides of time, but standing engraved in eternity. Why is Stonehenge so special, a person may ask? The answer is very simple, "Go see it!"