What did you learn on this trip?
On this trip I learned that other cultures from other countries are much different than I anticipated. I guess I was expecting more similarities and was shocked by the little, subtle differences such as a lack of cold drinking water and the impeccable fashion of the women in Europe.
What meant the most to you?
Seeing Auschwitz meant the most to me. I have studied the Holocaust for years and I was eager to see a concentration camp. “Eager” is not exactly the type of response most people have. We all anticipated tears and sorrow when we arrived at the camps and we were right in that assumption. I was glad to get the opportunity to see Auschwitz because my Peepaw was a American soldier during WWII and was at a concentration camp only days after liberation. He said that it was such a sad sight seeing people so thin and seeing bodies still lying on the ground. It was important to him that I get some idea of the horrors that occurred at these camps.
What has been the benefit of this class and trip for your education experience?
The benefit of this class and trip for my education experience is that I can share what I have learned and seen with my future students. When I become a teacher, especially high school English, I can tie in what I have seen to literature such as The Diary of Anne Frank and Night. I believe I can use the photos I took and my stories to help students understand more about the tragedy of the Holocaust.
Are there particular moments, sites that will remain with you long after this trip?
I think the site that will remain with me long after the trip is the gate and train track to Birkeneau. I have seen that exact scene in pictures several times but even know thinking about it I get chills. I think it upset me so much because after going through that gate, human beings were unloaded and sent to their deaths and the second before going through that gate was their last second of any normalcy at all. I cannot imagine what the victims of the Holocaust most have felt after being torn from their families, starved to death, humiliated, and degraded.
What is the value of traveling abroad?
The value of traveling abroad is seeing how other cultures live. It can help us see the faults and, more of my opinion, the blessings of America. I love to travel but I have never felt so out of my comfort zone. But I believe that by traveling abroad I gained a little more independence and confidence in traveling. This trip made me want to see other countries and compare their similarities and differences.
