Since the dawn of time, people have roamed the universe in search of answers to burning questions about what "all this" means. Looking to the past, we find parallels that help put our own modern lives into perspective. We mortals have an insatiable quest for knowledge about everything under the sun. Who are we ? Where do we come from? Why are we here? What happens next? By analyzing the meaning of ancient mythology and applying the lessons learned during the hero's quests, we gain insight and perspective on our own place in the modern world we live in today. By visualizing and internalizing the lessons learned during the mythological hero's journeys, we find relevance in the symbolism and metaphors that reflect our own struggles and inspire us to find the courage and determination to overcome them. I am not a deeply religious person but I believe in “something”. What it is, I'm not entirely sure. However, like the characters in the myths we have read this semester, I know that I am also on a journey that will hopefully one day reveal the answers to the questions I have been searching for as well as those I have not even not yet posed. thought again. Life is a quest that begins at birth and continues until the day we die. Our quests resemble the hero's journeys because in trying to achieve our goals; we stumble, fall, get a little help if we're lucky, then get back up and try again. Sometimes I pray for supernatural help as I struggle to overcome obstacles along the way, but so far no god or goddess has materialized to help me in my difficult times. I guess that's why we have family - those people in our lives that we sometimes can't live with but could never live without. These are them...... middle of paper ...... process. Like the mythological characters we learned about this semester, we journey through life and face obstacles that either make us stronger or break us into a million pieces. It is up to us to choose how to put these pieces back together. Works Cited “Jason and the Golden Fleece.” Ancient Greek mythology. Copyright © 2003-2012 University Press Inc. Internet. October 11, 2013. Raffel, Burton. Beowulf. New York, NY: Signet Classic, 1963. print. Gardner, John. Grendel. New York, NY: Vintage Books, 1971. Print. Fagles, Robert. The Odyssey. Luxury. New York, NY: Penguin Classics, 1996. Print. Encyclopedia Mythica. MCMXCV - MMXII Mythica Encyclopedia.. Web. October 11, 2013. .The Epic of Gilgamesh. Poznan Computing and Networking Center, Web. .