The Days are Endings
Wow! I can’t believe
that this is our last week. It honestly
feels like we just got here yesterday and here we are finally in Berlin. This city holds so much history and with that
history comes some pain. Even today, you
can still see the effects of the division across Berlin and even Germany. When we were viewing the Berlin Wall, we
happened upon some posters that were quite disturbing. I guess you could say that these posters were
very closely related to the ideals and purposes that the Nazi party was founded
on. I find it quite saddening that our
world still hasn’t learned from all of its mistakes. Coming to Europe, I was quite naïve about the
ways of our world. It is so easy to stay
in my little small East Texas town bubble that you forget that there is more to
the world. I’ve learned so much on this
trip and my eyes have been opened to so much.
Sure the sights were great, but it was seeing the world through a
different view that was the most rewarding experience of this whole trip.
Our guide in Berlin, Ryan, was absolutely incredible. You could think of him as a mini Dr.
Wasser. (So he is brilliant) He was so full of knowledge and he would
always throw in some small stories here and there to help keep you entertained
and focused. On the first day, we saw
the memorial for the Jews. The design
was so simple yet complicated and if you happened on the site, you probably
wouldn’t even know what it was. The
stones reminded me us the headstones/graves that the Jewish community never
received. Each stone is different. I think this was an effort to try and give
back their dignity that was taken away from them. While here we saw people sitting on the
stones and jumping from one to another.
I found this appalling, disturbing, and disrespectful. It really bothered me that not more respect
was shown.
While in Germany, we also visited a concentration camp. My heart breaks just thinking about it. Just by walking into the grounds you could
feel the atmosphere change. So much
pain, hurt, and humiliation accompanied this land and it is crazy to see how
the land still holds onto this. There
isn’t much that grows out there. I think
this is the Earth’s way of never letting us forget what happened there. Upon entering the concentration camp, there
was a sign that says something along the lines of “Work Can Free”. There was a young woman who went up and posed
next to the sign and smiled. Once again,
I was mortified. I didn’t understand why
someone thought it was appropriate to smile and pose next to a sign that
ultimately was the signature on a death certificate. With each turn, I learned more and more
about the truly ugly crimes that were committed here. You can learn about something in a textbook
but it isn’t until you really see it, that you can fully understand the extent
of what happened. I know it is something
that I will never forget.
I think our world has become too placid. We don’t teach our children manners anymore
and we don’t discipline them. A place
like this should be held with the upmost respect and I hope that one day,
everyone who walks through those gates will do that.
Our last day in Berlin was probably my favorite. We went to the ottoboc. Here they make prosthetics for the
Paralympics. There was even a little
race you could do and it was hilarious seeing how competitive everyone
was. It
was even more amazing to see how far our medical equipment has come
today and how far it can still come. The
farewell dinner was actually quite sad. The
food was amazing and Dr. Wasser even surprised us with a belly dancer! Everyone got up and joined in, so it was
quite a sight! I even got a few videos
for good laughs! It was hard to say
goodbye to everyone though. After being
with each other for 39 straight days, these people become your family. We shared so many laughs and memories that I
couldn’t be more thankful for the experience this study abroad program brought
me. If you are on the fence about going,
I highly encourage you to go! Trust me! You won’t forget it!
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