I’m permanently broke. I’m not addicted to clothes, shoes, or flashy cars. I’m addicted to travel. Every time I find myself with a few thousand dollars, I don’t think about how rewarding it would be to compound interest in a high-yield bond; I think about how far away from Cincinnati I can travel. My latest excursion took me to four different countries, where I discovered the benefits of group travel with the RWC Summer British Study Abroad Program. Imagine for a moment miles of greenery surrounding a huge manor house that looks like it belongs in an era long forgotten. Weathered and beaten, it is eerily beautiful and larger than any place you’ve ever lived. This is Harlaxton College, where I stayed for two and a half weeks while studying the testimonies of Holocaust survivors and participants.
The closest town, Grantham, sits four miles out, which I discovered when I decided it would be fun to walk into town instead of taking a cab. My feet, of course, strongly disagreed. Home to Isaac Newton, Grantham is many centuries old. Exactly how many centuries old was a debate of much dissent among my English acquaintances at the Blue Pig Pub one night. The argument was abandoned with raucous laughter when I announced that the difference between 13th and 14th century meant very little to me, because, as an American, “anything over two hundred years is really old.”
One program highlight was the opportunity to take a four-day trek of independent travel in the midst of classes to Edinburgh, Scotland, where I explored the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle and even went on a “ghost tour” of Edinburgh’s underground vaults.
A random encounter with a French Canadian girl led me back to a Scotsman’s flat for a private dinner party. Ten strangers let me into their lives for one night, where I ate a home-cooked meal, drank French wine, and even made homemade, hand-cranked peach ice cream on the sidewalk of an Edinburgh street.
I also had the opportunity to explore the vast city of Prague. While there is a language barrier, the amazing architecture and abundance of local street vendors and artists more than made up for the challenge.
My favorite Prague experience was stumbling upon the Medieval Museum of Torture. With its tacky and loud presentation, I was shocked to discover the floors of garrotes and iron maidens were in fact genuine.
The final leg of the trip took our group to Krakow, Poland, to tour the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camps. Were it not for the lingering smells and the presence of chimneystacks as far as the eye can see, it would be hard to imagine it as the scene of genocide. It is because of this experience that I am aware of the powerful nature of witnessing one of human history’s greatest atrocities, and it has been a vital part of my attempt to understand it.
I truly encourage the experience of foreign travel. Understanding history, human nature, and different cultures is an important part of improving the future.
[Anyone interested in participating in of RWC’s 2008 study abroad programs in Britain, Costa Rica, or Germany can attend an open informational meeting this Wednesday, November 14, at 2 p.m. in Room 258, Muntz Hall. Meet this year’s faculty leaders and listen to students in previous programs share their experiences. For more information, contact Professor Mike Roos at 745-5764 or email .]