At a young age, many people compose a list of all the places they would like to visit before they die. Whether they include countries, cities, or historical sites, this list can become quite lengthy. I created such a thing about five or so years ago, when I was eleven. After it was completed, I counted over fifty countries I would like to travel to. My list included places such as Thailand, Morocco, Malta, and Brazil. I have traveled around a significant amount in my short life, and each experience has been quite memorable. But by far, my trip to Europe four years ago has had the most impact on me. In a span of a few weeks, I went to two places that I will never forget. First, my family and I toured Anne Frank’s Secret Annex in Amsterdam. Though I have done multiple research projects, seen movies, and read books about Frank’s life, I learned more during the few hours I spent in that tiny attic than I believe I ever could have learned from a book. I found it interesting that an entire family lived stashed away in this cramped space for years, and the terror they felt must have been unbearable; especially for Anne, who was only a teenager at the time. About a week after this, I journeyed to Poland, the home of my ancestors, and toured Auschwitz-Burkina. The first thing I noticed when I arrived was, of course, the brick wall entrance and electric barbed-wire fencing around the perimeter. Upon entering, I could feel something in the air, but couldn’t exactly put my finger on what it was. Walking around, I saw hundreds of wooden barracks as well as massive burial sites of many prisoners who were forced to dig their own grave. The two worst things I witnessed at Auschwitz were definitely the gas chambers and crematoria. Just standing next to the place where millions of innocent men, women, and children were burned to ashes was insufferable; but the putrid smell of the gas chambers was the worst part for me.
Teenagers these days sometimes feel like they have rough lives whether it’s because of the stress from school, work, sports, or friends. But after seeing these awful things, I realized how lucky we Americans have it here in the United States; staying out late with friends, travel opportunities, and not having to hide your religion for fear of being killed. Since the time I saw the effects of this genocide, I began to appreciate the simple things we sometimes take for granted; such as a warm bed to sleep in, an education, and dinner every night. From my travel experiences, I’ve learned that not everyone in the world has it as nice as we do here, and that we should be thankful for the luxuries we receive as well as appreciate our family and friends more than we already do.
