For me, a lot of this trip became about re-evaluation. I re-evaluated my own preconceptions, my initial reactions, and my thought processes. As I shared with the group during our reflecting session, this direction for my train of thoughts was started near the end of the trip when a few of us visited the Jewish cemetery in Berlin. This place, seemingly so focused on the deaths caused by the holocaust, turned out to be one of the most peaceful places I have ever been. Instead of being a symbol of war like I had assumed it would be, it turned out to be a place full of nature, life, and rest.
That experience prompted me to think more closely about what other aspects of the trip turned out to be different than what I had expected. This included many of our tour guides who, instead of being vessels to get information from, were characters who had unique viewpoints. Many theater shows took on a whole new meaning when I thought about them again days later. The art that we did as a group seemed to be above our skill level, yet after we let ourselves make mistakes, real art was created. These are only a few of examples of things on this trip that I re-evaluated in order to come to more informed conclusions and realizations.
Overall, this trip has caused me to think about experiences not once or twice, but over and over again until they hold a much larger amount of meaning. Talking and discussing with the other people on this trip was also a huge asset in guiding me towards reflection and appreciation for all of the theater, art, and sights that we experienced. I will forever be grateful to every individual (shoutout to Janet) who made this trip an incredibly fulfilling experience for me.
And also, it was TONS OF FUN!!!
Over and out,
Franny
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