I visited Austria in 2011 and one experience that stood out to me in particular is Hohensalzburg Castle. Built on the cliffs overlooking the city of Salzburg, this imposing structure stands out above the city and is backdropped by Austria’s mountainscape. While built for a defensive purpose, I was surprised by how beautiful the fortress was especially with the image I had originally had in my head of castles should look in that I always thought of a castle being a large, crude, and grey bricked behemoth.

I visited the Notre-Dame de Paris in 2009 during a tour of France with People to People. At the time, something that really struck me is just how massive the cathedral is in person. I remember being curious how the builders were able to achieve the sharp corners and intricacies in the building’s façade. Looking back now, I have a much better appreciation for this magnificent structure since the fire that destroyed a large portion of it in 2019.

I visited the Tower of Pisa in 2009 during a tour of Europe with People to People. One of the first things that I remember when seeing is it that I was fascinated that it had such a dramatic lean to it. I appreciated the fact that such a beautiful structure was constructed so long ago by people using tools and methods that we would consider almost primitive today.

I visited this also in 2015. It is the largest brewery that Anheuser-Busch owns and is one of twelve. It also happens to the place that I fell in love with bud light. Bud light is my favorite beer, along with the majority of America. However, once you’ve had freshly brewed bud light, as I did here, it changes your outlook. You’ll never have a better, fresher lager beer in your life.

I visited Yellowstone National Park in 2015. This one of just the many structures and buildings I saw there. This is the Roosevelt Gate, or the North Gate, as it is the farthest North Entrance to the park. We stayed a couple nights at the Old Faithful Inn, which was originally a completely wooden hotel they built back in the 1800’s! Pretty incredible that it still stands today. It’s been renovated since then, of course.

So 4th street Louisville, KY is one of the first places that I had freedom to go after graduating from basic camp at Fort Knox. I wish I had a better picture of the structures here. What you see pictured is a total outdoor shop and venue, however its completely covered by an overhead structure, using glass for the walls and a metal frame of that looks like lattice work. Its really a work of art and remember it vividly, probably because I hadn’t seen real civilization in three months.

This was the first building that I remember visiting at OU. I owe this building, and what it houses, for what I think is a successful college career. In this building I’ve learned hard work, leadership, camaraderie, and the value of persistence. Its where I began my career on becoming an US Army Officer. This building has more than influence on my life, it was at one point my whole life. I can’t wait for the renovations to be done so I can visit it one last time before I graduate.

The final design of Pei’s career was the Suzhou Museum, completed in 2006. It uses a combination of aesthetics traditional to the area, as well as Pei’s iconic use of glass and complex geometry. It is a modern interpretation of a traditional style of architecture. There is an atrium within the structure that allows natural light to flow in from above. The use of glass enhances the pond surrounding the museum, and is a beautiful building that overall enhances the natural environment. I really like this building, and I feel is one of the buildings that strays more from the style that Pei is typically known for as it makes use of those more traditional elements and interprets them in a more modern way. However, as you enter the structure the ceiling displays the instantly recognizable use of triangles that Pei uses throughout his designs, and the illusion it creates is very modern, but simultaneously a very comfortable space.

A cylindrical, simple building built by the architect Eero Saarinen, the MIT chapel drew inspiration from classical styles. The closed design was intended to encourage visitors to experience more inward feelings and reflect on themselves while they worship.

A flight center located in New York City built by architect Eero Saarinen, Terminal 5 was recently repurposed to be a part of the TWA hotel.It has a modern, streamlined appearance, and was one of the earliest flight centers that had jetways extending from the interior to the planes present outside.