All Good Things Come To An End

Over a month ago, when I was waiting to board my flight to Munich, I had no idea what my time abroad was going to bring. I was nervous about the people – would I make friends? Would they actually be as passionate about the Holocaust and Genocide Studies program as I was or would they just be on the trip to cross credits off of their list? I was nervous about the assignments – would they be as challenging as they appeared on the syllabus? Would I have to scramble to complete them? Mostly, I was nervous about myself.

When I told my family and friends that I was headed off to Germany and Poland to study the Holocaust for a month, they warned me that it would be an emotionally-trying program. I knew this, and I wanted to be ready for it. I just hoped that I was.

In an effort to make the most out of my journey abroad, I jumped right into the material, not hesitating to raise my hand to answer questions or being the first to propose a group activity on our free days. By doing this I was able to easily socialize with our group early on, and knowing I had people to lean on for support made it easier to explore such a difficult topic.

Now that I’m typing this blog post on my first day back at work as a reporter at a small weekly newspaper in my hometown, I’m reflecting on my trip – and I can’t stop smiling.

While I was abroad, I learned so much about the Holocaust – how the Nazi Party grew its influence to corrupt all aspects of German society and why the Germans were able to be so easily corrupted, what took place, how it was documented by the Nazis and how Germany remembers these events today – but I learned even more about myself.

While abroad, I became more confident in my abilities in an academic setting as well as outside of the classroom. Being in a non-English speaking country forced me to open my mind when trying to communicate with natives or attempting to navigate the city on my own. I’ve always been extroverted, but there was no room for shyness while I was in Germany – the topic I was learning about and the terrain I was learning it in did not allow it. I do not hesitate to share my thoughts or feelings with groups of people – and myself.

The Holocaust and Genocide Studies Dialogue consists of political science courses, and as a journalism major with minors in psychology and communication studies, I was hesitant. This field was totally outside of my comfort zone, and I had no idea what to expect from the course material and the assignments – for what I know now was no reason. I did well in my classes on this trip because I stepped out of my comfort zone and truly inserted myself and my feelings into the essays I wrote about our experiences. I want to use my newfound confidence in myself and my feelings in anything I tackle in the future.

I would advise anyone considering going on a Dialogue or studying abroad to take advantage of these opportunities. In a month, I learned more about myself and the topic I was studying than I ever would have in a classroom because of the nature of the trip. Being on the scene where the Holocaust happened adds a different layer to Holocaust studies – as someone who has always been interested in the subject, I was eager to be on this trip, and I learned about aspects I never would have considered when reading in a book or watching a movie.

While I would love to study abroad again in the future – maybe even in Germany – it’s nice to be back home. I’m excited to share the knowledge gained on my trip with my friends, family and peers back in Boston, and I’m incredibly thankful for this opportunity.