The War that Changed Me

by Sophie Trosclair (United States of America)

I didn't expect to find Poland

The first time I ever made plans to travel, I was five years old talking to my friends on the playground. “When I grow up, I’m either going to go on a safari or backpack Europe,” I remember telling them, although I knew absolutely nothing about what that meant at the time. Little did I know how influential and transformative travel would become in my life By the time my dream of backpacking Europe came to fruition, I was abundantly ready for it. On a Tuesday in early June, I boarded an airplane by myself with only a small backpack holding everything I would need for the next seven weeks. When I woke up in Scotland, I could not contain my smile. My backpacking trip represents so much more than simply a good time for me. For me, it was a departure from my old self and a step towards the me I had always wanted to be. I felt truly empowered, completely free, and endlessly thrilled as I experienced places I had always dreamt of. I was determined to learn as much as I could and to let the journey change me. The fifteen-country trek that transpired was more transformative than I ever could have imagined. In the days and weeks leading up to the trip, after returning from an educational tour with my students to Normandy, I developed an all-consuming fascination over the events that took place during World War II. While standing on the beaches that had acted as a witness to the heroism and tragedy of D-Day, the most shocking factor about the war to me was how recently it took place. When I got home, I was determined to continue learning about what had occurred during that heart-wrenching time in history. My grandparents, who experienced the war first hand, answered my questions about their memories of living during wartime. I was amazed by the extremely direct impact the war had on their generation, and potentially even on mine. I made it a goal to continue growing my understanding during my summer-long backpacking trip. An incomprehensible number of people were affected by the war, and as I soon discovered, every single place I visited was too. After spending time in the United Kingdom, where I learned of tremendous heroism and history, I made my way to where the Second World War began— Poland. My time in Krakow was a combination of fun, as I explored the revived city, and feeling. The beautiful streets were laden with reminders of the war and the massive loss it left behind. Countless monuments, museums, and memorials told the stories of what happened within the walls of the Ghetto. When I walked the halls of Schindler’s Factory, I was devastated and inspired. Something about this city that saw so much persecution and incomprehensible pain began to change me. By the time I walked under a battered sign reading “Arbeit Macht Frei,” my internal transformation was in full swing. I had always had the desire to visit Auschwitz— a desire not born of morbid fascination but of a responsibility to carry the burden of history. In the hours of walking around Auschwitz, I felt empathy stronger than I had ever felt it in my life. I imagined being in the situations of those forced from their homes, separated from their families, and forced to work themselves to emaciation and death. The Holocaust is a horrendous example of injustice and oppression in the recent past, and sadly there are infinite injustices that have occurred since then. In the face of such atrocities, the easiest option is often to remain quiet or silent. However, the time I’ve spent remembering history has inspired me to be on the right side of history. My trip that summer taught me a lot about myself, as I dedicated myself to understanding the past and its ramifications on the present. The places I visited and the people I met impacted me in ways I never expected.