Travel is intensified living and these last two weeks have certainly been just that. Our classroom experimental learning started in Vienna, the capital city of Austria and one of the world’s most important centers of art, music, and European culture. The country is the cradle of classical music, home to renowned classical musicians, such as Wolfgang Mozart and Joseph Haydn. My professor brilliantly quipped, "History has done a fabulous job convincing the world Hitler was a German and Beethoven an Austrian." Neither is true, of course. Hitler was actually born in Austria and only left the country upon his rejection to the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts.  He was denied admittance twice by the institute, once in 1907 and again in 1908. This fueled his anti-Semitic attitude and his departure to Germany. 

We continued our trip to the magical city of Venice, Italy. I am rarely rendered speechless but this place managed to do so. I agree with the masses that this is easily one of the most dazzlingly beautiful cities in the world. Webster’s dictionary defines awesome as, "fear mingled with admiration or reverence; a feeling produced by something majestic, sublime, etc." This is an utterly perfect description for Venice. The “Floating City” was built on 118 small islands connected by numerous canals and bridges. Even more impressive is the fact that the city was not built directly on the islands. It was built primarily upon wooden platforms, supported by wooden stakes driven deep into the ground.

Venice is quite small. Most of the major sightseeing is within a 15-minute walk of the Rialto Bridge. St. Marks Square is incredibly neat, especially the Basilica of St. Mark. I got lost several times during our exploration of the city and I was completely content. Lovely views abound. During one of my outings, a Venetian pigeon pooped on my leg (pic attached). I was assisted by a kind Brit who informed me this was actually good luck in Italy and I should purchase a lottery ticket upon my return home. I told her I would do so contingent upon my savings.

Venice floods approximately 100 times a year and researchers disagree on whether the city will in fact one day be unwater. I think it is safe to say only time—and tides—will tell. But in the meantime, if given the opportunity, a visit is highly suggested.

Our professor, Jan, took us to the first Jewish ghetto. The English word “ghetto” is derived from the Italian language. The word was first used to describe the Venetian geto meaning “foundry.” Jews where sent here during the 16^th century by the doges, Venice’s ruling council. At that time, the Ghetto Nuova was a small, dirty island. It was later made famous by Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice. The area is still home to a small Jewish community.

Despite the brevity of our trip, both Vienna and Venice undoubtedly made a lasting impact on me. The cities have rich histories that make for a most exciting trip. Whether learning about the Habsburg heritage in Vienna or the Doge of Venice, one can surely find immense satisfaction in their visit.

Elie Wiesel said, “To forget a Holocaust is to kill twice.”

There are certain moments in life that leave a person permanently and profoundly altered, my visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau was undoubtedly one them.

It was on a cold and dreary day of April that I beheld one of man’s greatest tragedies. A grey and comfortless sky, beset with crows lurking above, framed the entrance to the camp. The rain pattered dismally against the rugged terrain as I entered into the camp under the sign, “Arbeit Macht Frei” (work sets you free)—the gate which would later become known as “the gate of death.” I felt a palpable distress, an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, as I continued my walk, weighed down by a mind convinced this could not be real. I have read several books and watched countless films about the Holocaust, but visiting the largest of the German Nazi concentration camps, where 1.1 million men, women, and children lost their lives, was easily one of the most poignant experiences I have had to date. I spent almost the entire time just trying to understand how something so unspeakably evil could even occur.

As a whole, my visit was extremely sobering. Mere words will never suffice. It is inconceivable to me that the human heart can harbor such hatred. Neither the most vivid imagination nor the deepest empathy can enable one to experience even remotely the horror endured by the victims of the Holocaust. Auschwitz, however, brought this horror to life. An unfathomable and unforgettable event that stunned, frightened, and overwhelmed the world, the Holocaust will always remain a hauntingly painful episode in human history and, though my visitation to Auschwitz helped put these ghastly events into perspective, no person will ever be fully capable of understanding such monstrous evil. It left me numb, my mind consumed with unending questions, and my heart broken. I trembled, sick with fear, aching for answers. How could any human be so wretched?

One of the saddest and most painful sights at Auschwitz is the display of shoes in a massive glass case that takes up approximately half of a barracks room in Block 5. The shoes are deteriorating and are largely gray and black. A few shoes, however, are made of red leather and stand out. The juxtaposition alone is enough to make one fall to their knees. To think each shoe represents a life—a life taken too soon, a life deprived of dignity.  

If there’s one major takeaway it is this: the Shoah has made us painfully aware of what man is capable of.

I will conclude with a deeply insightful quote from Harold S. Kushner. He writes, “Our generation is realistic, for we have come to know man as he really is. After all, man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those gas chambers upright, with the Lord's Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips.”

While previously studying abroad in Turkey, I learned that to be effective in another culture, people must possess a genuine interest in it, observe cultural differences, and be willing to modify their behavior as an indication of respect for another culture. I brought this same mindset with me to the Czech Republic.

The rate at which Czech citizens consume pivo (beer) is truly remarkable. This is one of the most conspicuous cultural differences I noticed. While most American collegiate students pride themselves on being able to shotgun beers and chug inordinate amounts of liquor, that particular style of drinking does not necessarily resonate with students here.

Another difference I observed was how morose Czech people tend to be. As someone who hails from the Midwest where it is considered impertinent not to say hello or to provide a gentle wave, I was particularly taken aback by the lack of friendlessness. I understand, however, that this is largely due to the fact that Czech people see the American smile as a phony gesture. Admittedly, I think there is some truth to that statement.

While living in Washington D.C. I met a close friend who worked for the United States State Department. This individual repeatedly informed me on the crucial need to be transparent and empathetic when abroad. I think cultural competency is imperative for well-functioning diplomatic relationships and human beings in general. I also fear, however, that some travelers and self-proclaimed foreign-policy experts are so used to bending over backward to show their openness to and approval of other cultures that any positive and explicit reference to their own culture seems rather disingenuous.

This is precisely why it is essential that American students glean a cross-cultural understanding and learn to communicate with people from other countries. Ultimately the key is mutual adaptation due to a cognitive understanding of the behavior of the other. I have a fundamental desire to make human connections and initiate life-long relationships with people from across the globe. Living in the Czech Republic continues to teach me how to cross cultures and build bridges. To truly understand a culture, one must be immersed in the country, which is exactly what I am so fortunate and privileged to be doing in Olomouc, Czech Republic.

For me, travel is an endlessly enriching social and cultural experience. Most importantly, it has helped me gain a deeper understanding of my place in the world. While I adore John Lennon’s “Imagine” and his utopian idea of the world living as one—it is equally important to understand and appreciate that each of us is distinctly different, to have the capacity to suspend judgment, acknowledge and respect ideas and behavior different from our own. This is the very essence of becoming a more wholesome individual.

American actor Danny Kaye says, “To travel is to take a journey into yourself.” I say, travel transcends the mind to a point where one is unable to return to the way they were.