In August 2013 I was presented with a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I was asked to go to Europe for 15 days. I would visit Amsterdam, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France and England -- seeing all the sites that have filled the pages of history.

Well, truth be told, this wasn’t exactly a once in a life time opportunity. I had been to Europe 12 years previously, as a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale’s teen program. Furthermore, this was not going to be vacation; I was to be one of three chaperones taking 19 teenagers “across the pond.”

Let me give you some backstory here. Every other year the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale selects a group of outstanding teenagers to be a part of our European Excursion program.

The teens are selected based on their completed application, recommendations from their branch’s staff team, and they are required to maintain at least a 2.5 GPA. Each member of the trip buys in at $975, which is a fraction of the actual cost! Additionally, teens spend a long year fundraising the balance; during this time they are also educated on the history of the places they will see.

Our group left the United States on Thursday, June 19. After we landed in Amsterdam we quickly dropped our bags at the hotel and started our tour! We took a train to Amsterdam’s Central Station and from there made the short walk to the oldest part of the city, Dam Square.

We explored the Square, taking in the atmosphere, getting some lunch, changing money and generally getting acquainted with the city. Next we walked to the Anne Frank House. This was, as you can imagine, a very moving experience for the group, but also an important part of learning about the rich history of Amsterdam.

The next day we returned to the city center, taking the tram to Leidseplein, the entertainment capital of Amsterdam. From there we walked to the Coster Diamond factory where we were given a tour and learned about one of Amsterdam’s biggest industries. Later we took a canal cruise, a fantastic way to see some of the city’s most famous buildings.

We then returned to the Leidseplein where we continued to explore the city. Half of our group went to the Rijksmuseum Museum, while the other half did a bit of shopping.

The next few days were full of travel. We stopped in Cologne, Germany and saw the Dom Cathedral and continued to Heidelberg, Germany. In Heidelberg we were in awe of the Heidelberg Castle as we explored the famous castle, inspired by the breath-taking views. From the castle we went into the heart of Heidelberg and walked around the town area and had dinner downtown.

The following day on our way to Munich, we visited Dachau, the first concentration camp opened in Germany. It was a very moving and defining experience for both teens and advisors as this was such an important and awful time in history. We left Dachau and continued to Munich where we were given a guided bus tour to BMW World, Olympic Park from the 1972 Games, and Nymphenburg Palace.

On this particular day we woke up in Germany, traveled through Austria, and went to bed in Italy -- three countries in one day! The city in Italy where we stayed was Lido di Jesolo, a coastal city off of the Adriatic Sea. Our members enjoyed the beach and a dip in the sea.

Our first night in Italy happened to correspond with World Cup Soccer-Italy vs. Uruguay. Our members cheered loudly for Italy, but they unfortunately lost. What an experience! I don’t think any of our members will forget, as the World Cup is huge in Europe.

Day seven of our trip was highlighted by a boat trip to Venice Island where we spent the day in Doges Palace and exploring all that Venice had to offer, including a classic gondola ride.

On our way to Switzerland we traveled through Verona and saw Juliet’s house (from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet), a Roman amphitheater and remains of the Roman arena. While in Switzerland we stayed in the most amazing hotel. The views were absolutely breath-taking and the group fell in love with the atmosphere. During the day we spent time in Lucerne where we saw the Lion Monument and the Chapel Bridge. Of course while we were here we sampled the delicious chocolate that Switzerland offers and brought home quite a bit…

The next few days were spent in the amazing city of Paris. We went to the Bastille, had a walking tour of Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc de Triomphe, and the Eiffel Tower. Our time in Paris was filled, with hardly a moment to catch our breath, with a visit to Musee d Orsay, a walk down Champs Elysees, and a cruise on the Seine River.

During the cruise, France had just won a World Cup match and the streets were crazy with horns honking, sirens blaring, cheering and dancing.

Our last country to visit was England. On the first day we took the London Underground to Piccadily Circus, walked to Leicester Square then Trafalgar Square.

While there we visited the National Gallery and saw paintings by Van Gogh, Monet, Turner, Degas and Cezanne. After, we walked over the Golden Jubilee Bridge to the Southbank for views of the London Eye and Houses of Parliament. That evening we had a traditional English dinner of bangers and mash.

Our last full day began with a bus and walking tour of London. We saw the Royal Albert Hall, Albert Memorial, Marble Arch, Apsley House, Westminster Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower of London and Tower Bridge. We then ended the tour at Covent Garden, where we enjoyed fish and chips…

We arrived home exhausted on July 4. When we got home it was so hard to imagine we had traveled through seven countries in 15 days. We had seen and experienced so much! Traveling to Europe is such an amazing experience.

I have been so fortunate to have gone twice and both times as a part of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale. The European Excursion program is one way the club provides unique and exciting opportunities to the teens we serve.

(Editor’s Note: Justin Duran is branch director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale Mary Ellen & Robert McKee Branch in Fountain Hills.)