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Auschwitz Trip Reflections 1

Auschwitz Trip Reflections 1

The trips to Auschwitz and Birkenau are ones that have shifted the route of my future. Before the trip started, I had a preconceived notion of how it was going to make me feel and how I would react to such atrocities. There was something about receiving the tour from Eva Kor herself that really put me into their shoes. Prior to the trip, I believed that I would be taken aback due to knowing about the death toll numbers associated with the Holocaust, but I did not anticipate feeling the fear and hopelessness that these human beings, like myself, experienced. I did not anticipate feeling guilty whereas prior to this, I did not value the lives of people that did not directly affect me on the day to day basis. Personally, I always convinced myself that I was a selfless person, but to what degree? How much of the of my comfortable life was I willing to sacrifice for complete strangers? That question is one that millions of Americans answered and answers every day. The answer is NONE. Not many people are willing to give up their happiness so that someone else has the opportunity to receive peace. After this trip, I am. I plan on dedicating my future to helping people, I have been fortunate enough to receive a great platform and I plan on using this platform to assist as many people as possible. In closing, our lives value has often been determined by social positions and while equality for everyone is the goal, that is not the reality of society. After the trip to Poland, I understand this but I am also determined to do whatever it takes to get our current reality to line up with our goal.

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