Editor’s Note: During spring break, a group of freshman traveled to Poland as part of the “Reading the Globe: The Freshman Experience.” One freshman was Bridge Staff Writer Diana Grace, who earned the trip by submitting a personal essay on Gerda Weissmann Klein’s memoir “All But My Life.” The following is Grace’s experience abroad.
It’s time to go. It takes forever to load the white vans as families and friends line up to wave goodbye and give little reminders, such as “Have fun!” and “Call me when you get to the airport!” I remember staring out the window at my new companions, our motley crew.Sleep-deprived and with nerves mounting, I managed to get some rest on the plane. Next thing I knew, we were landing in Kraków, and it was snowing! We were picked up by Piotrek G?balski, a man I would get to become very good friends with as the days passed.Each day brought something new to taste, see, or experience, but we had gone to Kraków on a mission: learn about the Holocaust. It hadn’t dawned on me that we were going to Auschwitz until the night before. Blessed sleep was something I’m sure everyone desired on the long bus ride, but fear, anticipation, excitement, nerves, and curiosity overruled my desire to rest. The bitter cold took my breath away when I stepped off the bus, our feet crunching on the red dirt. My eyes flickered to the barbed wire fence. Then I saw it. The infamous sign that used to welcome its prisoners – and now tourists – to Auschwitz: Arbeit Macht Frie (Work Will Set You Free).I’m going to be honest here, I don’t remember much of the actual tour. I kept tuning out when the guide spoke to better absorb what was being displayed. I remember the crunching sound our feet made, the sight of my breath fogging in the air, the cold seeping through my multitude of layers, the disbelief rising as each room brought about a new set of horrors-mounds of human hair, children’s clothes, execution blocks, and pictures of prisoners Then it was to Birkenau the next day.The mood was considerably lighter, despite the gloomy weather. It was an enormous camp, far larger than Auschwitz. Despite things being on a much grander scale, the disbelief and horror that gripped me the day before were strangely absent. The disturbing truth was still there-authentic ruins rebuilt with original planks of living quarters, gas chambers, and crematoriums.I was a simple teenager walking through the woods and enjoying the day; the disturbing truth became just few unpleasant stops in between. The rest of our trip was filled with much laughter and smiles. I got to hike in the snow, and ride in an old-fashioned car, climb on a Russian tank, and take a tour of the post-Communist city of Nowa Huta. Most importantly, I made amazing friends. Entering the contest was one of the best things I have ever done, and I can’t wait to see what the future brings.Do Widzenia! (Good bye!)