So you can’t even tell that we had a mountain outside our hotel on Saturday. It was a lazy day that ended with some amazing Italian food.
So in about one hour, the plane will land and I will be in St. Louis. I feel very lucky that I was able to go on the adventure of the last 10 days. I created some amazing memories with Erin. As I sit here, eagerly waiting to be in my house and to have my pups back, I am wondering what I learned from this experience.
I think going to Dachau was probably the most touching and life-changing part of my trip. I can’t wait to use the pictures I took in class; I want to do a unit on Nazi propaganda when I talk about visual argument and show my students the Nazi pictures and what Dachau looks like and what really went on there. I want to use some Holocaust texts, as well. (And if anyone has any suggestions, please leave a comment for me at the end of this blog. I’d love the help!)
I also saw some amazing things. I think the Sound of Music bike tour was an important part of my trip, but not just because I was able to see sites from one of my favorite movies. The Sound of Music tour taught me I could ride a bike again and that while I haven’t shed a pound in my two and half months of working out four to five times a week, I have a much healthier body that I thought. I would have never taken that bike trip to the gorge. On the way to Europe, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to ride a bike. Now, I can’t wait to get a helmet and get my old bike that I bought in high school out on a trail. (Again, if you have suggestions on helmets or places to purchase them in St. Louis, please comment below.)
I think the third and most important thing I learned from this trip is that I’m not like every other woman in the military. When Erin and I were at Edelweiss, we were casually referred to as the “sisters.” So many people I talked to couldn’t believe that I’d be on a trip to Europe doing the things were doing *gasp* without my husband. Everyone assumed that Mark and I were stationed in Europe, and Erin flew over to visit me. Mark’s deployment has taught me this: military spouses who make it through thick and thin are strong. Just look at the statistics. There are so many who get out of the marriages altogether. Mark’s training has given me startling real-life statistics on that. I just wonder why I feel like I am the only one wanting to achieve more…wanting to achieve my own identity. And I think it boils down to this: all of my life, I’ve simply wanted to change the world. I’ve wanted to make it a better place because of my presence. This is what I hope for with my future children, too. And for me, being a mom doesn’t allow me to change the world as much as I want to. So, this is why I want to get my doctorate in education. This is why I continue to have my foot in the door on the work front. This is why I want to get back into volunteering and creating relationships with people who need a bit of optimism in life and who need someone to just remind them that they are a person with dignity, just like everyone else out there.
Today, I was a little embarrassed to be an American. I was embarrassed by how impatient and rude people were standing in lines, waiting to go through security screenings that could ultimately save their life and the life of a loved one. In Austria and Germany, Erin was so upset that people weren’t friendlier to here when she smiled and said hi. Coming home made me realize that if I lived in one of those countries, I might have second thoughts about saying hi and being friendly with an American, too. Erin may be the nice, one, but I think many people have probably had interactions with the rude ones I saw in line today. I know many of the more gracious and friendly people I’ve met in my 32 years on earth haven’t been able to go on a trip like I just went on. They can’t afford it. It’s just a thought…I just wonder if we really put our best face forward or not.
I’m 70 miles away from St. Louis. So, I need to put the computer away. And I’m very thankful for everything I saw and learned in the last 10 days. I’m also grateful that Erin gave me this distraction. Four more months till I get to see Mark. I can’t wait. The trip was a distraction, but now it’s back to reality.
