Day Two: Welcome to Poland

Well I know what you've all been wondering..Did she sleep on that flight?

Oh yes. I slept on every flight here including the hour flight from Munich to Krakow. I can sleep anywhere but especially in cars and planes.

This was my first international flight so I stayed up long enough for dinner to be served. Oh. Man. I had to look around and make sure the seat in front of me was still on top of my knees because I thought I was in first class for a moment. It was chicken and rice, vegetables, a salad, and very good cheesecake. Mmmmmm. It makes it even better when there is a very cute German flight attendant. 

So cute.

We got to Munich at about 2 pm their time and immediately went through security checks. The German security officer asked me the usual questions but then threw me a curve ball:

"Oh you're from Utah? Runnin Utes!"

Swoon. Also cute. These German boys are something else.

This was a first.. The Munich airport shuttled us to our plane and we walked on with a set of stairs, you know, like Jay Z. It was pretty nice weather in Munich but we were welcomed with a pretty good snowstorm when we landed in Krakow. We found out it was their first snowstorm in a while. But I'm so glad it did because it just makes everything so beautiful and magical. Absolutely breathtaking!

We took a bus to our hotel and got settled in. Then went on a walk to dinner. Around here you can't get to most of the restaurants within the main square by car, so we walked. I actually love walking around. Everything is super close and it's just so pretty that you forget how far you're walking if you do go far.

This is half of the main square.

Walking to dinner.

We ate at a place that was delicious! It kind of felt like we were in an enchanted cabin.

The first thing we were served was goat cheese. If i had known that at home I would have skipped out on it but it actually wasn't too bad..very strong..but not bad. I promised myself I was going to try everything here at least once. The main course was really good though. So far, the food is delicious!

Goat cheese with jelly.

As we were waiting for food, the director of the museum stood up to give a couple of announcements and said a couple things I've remembered:

1) we're all here for a reason and a purpose. Find it and help others find theirs.

2) open up to your peers on the trip

My purpose for coming on this trip is because I am studying to be a history teacher and want to be able to teach my students first hand about the Holocaust. I believe that it's an important part of history not to be forgotten. Although Eva teaches forgiveness I don't feel that that is my purpose but I'm definitely excited to meet all the people from the trip and hear their stories.

Tomorrow we are going to tour the salt mines which I'm super excited about because they looked so beautiful when I looked them up online.

P.s. I will probably say "Krakow is beautiful" a million times..but for real. Krakow is beautiful!

Day One: life at airports

Very early this morning (after 1 hour of sleep) I took off to Denver. I love flying in the middle of the night because 1) there is hardly anyone at the airports and 2) because you get to watch a sunrise over a new city from 30,000 ft in the air.

Honestly, I just love flying period. I love the excitement and busyness of everything. I also have the apparently rare ability to fall asleep on any and all flights. (Knock on wood as I'm about to board my 9 hour flight)

After Denver I caught my connecting flight to Chicago. In Chicago is wear I met up with one of my friends* from the trip.

*the reason I put an asterisk by friend is because I've been in contact with this girl that is going on this trip with me for about 6 months now. She is from Minnesota so even though I've never met her I feel like we've been friends for a long time. Which another blessing as I am coming on this trip by myself. Plus she's my roommate, it's going to be fun.

Back to today, we met up at the airport and one of her friends picked us up so that we could go do something and not have to wait at the airport for 9 hours.

We went to a casino they have nearby and I'll give you one guess what this girl did...I found the lounge with the basketball games on the big screen. Couch all to myself and watching ball..perfect. After that we went to a mall where I got a mall lunch..subpar.

Honestly I'm not that into Chicago. One thing I do find super interesting is the fact that there is so much diversity here. So many races, faiths, cultures, languages, and from what I hear they all have their own "part" of Chicago. Super cool.

So here I am..waiting for my 9 hour flight that first stops in Munich before connecting to Krakow, Poland. First impression of everyone, CANDLES museum is a true class act. When I got here I told them my name was Marlisa and then they all knew I was the one from Utah. One even started telling me how good our Runnin Utes were..key to my heart. I love these people already.

I also got reminded again that I am the only person they've ever had from Utah in all their trips. I feel like a celebrity.

Anyways, I'm dead tired and am really excited for a long flight to pass out on. And to wake up in another country?? Heaven. I still can't believe I'm about to do this.

This is the greatest blessing and trip of a lifetime. Can't believe I got so lucky. Special shout out to all who have helped me along my way!

Official Press Release for Auschwitz 70 from CANDLES

Press Release: Indiana Holocaust survivor to lead group for 70^th anniversary commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz

Terre Haute, Ind. resident Eva Mozes Kor will participate in official commemoration ceremonies in Poland for the 70^th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on Jan. 27. Kor is the founder of CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center, Indiana’s only Holocaust museum.

Kor is part of a delegation of 100 survivors invited by the World Jewish Congress and the USC Shoah Foundation. Her activities include a reception with Steven Spielberg (who founded the USC Shoah Foundation after directing Schindler’s List) and a recreation of the famous “liberation photo” taken January 27, 1945 by Soviet photographer Alexander Vorontsov. Kor and her twin sister Miriam were in the front row holding hands in that iconic photo. Presidents of Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Malta, Poland, Slovenia & Switzerland have thus far confirmed their presence at the ceremony. The United States will be represented by a delegation led by Secretary of Treasury Jacob Lew and two Auschwitz survivors.

In addition to the ceremony on Jan. 27, Kor will also lead a tour group on Jan. 28-29 at Auschwitz-Birkenau. She will recount her experience surviving medical experimentation under the direction of Nazi doctor Josef Mengele. The group is composed of 80 people from 60 cities, twenty states, four countries, three continents, and two hemispheres. Among the group will be Emmanuel Habimana, a survivor of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The tour is organized by CANDLES Holocaust Museum, which leads annual tours of Auschwitz, including another tour in June. Details are available on the CANDLES website, www.candlesholocaustmuseum.org.

While Kor is in Poland, CNN will air its special one-hour documentary, “Voices of Auschwitz,” on Jan. 27 at 9 pm ET. The documentary features four survivors including Kor, who was interviewed at Auschwitz by Wolf Blitzer for the piece. Kor can also be seen in the film premier Night Will Fall, to air on Jan. 26 at 9 pm ET on HBO. Alfred Hitchcock originally directed the piece to document the atrocities committed at Auschwitz, but it was unfinished until now.

Statement from Eva Kor

“It is hard for me to realize that 70 years have flown by since the day we were liberated from Auschwitz. In some ways it is as fresh in my mind as if it happened yesterday, when I could finally walk out of the camp and no one yelled ‘Halt!’ nor did anyone shoot at me.

“I was very excited that I defeated the Nazis by staying alive, but I was troubled, since at age eleven I did not know how to get home safely with my twin sister Miriam.

“When the Soviet Army was taking the liberation picture, we found my mother’s friend Mrs. Csengeri with her twin daughters, Judith and Lea. We asked her to take care of us, and she did for seven months until we returned home to our village of Portz, Romania. That is when we found out that no one in our family survived.

“Looking back 70 years, I remember that all was quiet in Auschwitz I on Jan. 27, 1945, after months of heavy fighting artillery, bombings, and the other gruesome sounds of war. I never imagined then that I would ever want to come back to that place that changed my life forever, that took away my parents, sisters, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. For many years it also took away my joy of living.

“As I observe 70 years of my liberation from this hell on earth called Auschwitz, I am glad that I am alive, and very happy that I forgave the Nazis. I have forgiven everybody who has ever hurt me – not because they deserve it, but because I and all victims deserve to live free of the pain imposed on us.

“As I look at the world today, we face many problems, such as the rise of terrorism. We owe it to ourselves and the memory of Auschwitz to defend human life and decency.”

2 DAYS!!!!!

How Netflix sent me to Poland

Last summer I was doing what all cool kids do..watching a lot of Netflix.  But the nerd who is me was not watching the latest tv series but instead watching documentaries..not even embarrassed.  But I ran across this documentary called Forgiving Dr. Mengele.  I had heard of Dr. Mengele and his experimentation with twins but had never heard of this film.

I HIGHLY recommend watching this film (I believe it's still on Netflix).  Not only does it give a first-hand account of this horrific event but Eva Kor's story of forgiveness is one everyone needs to hear.  It's absolutely incredible and inspiring.

It touched me so much that I decided to look her up and find out more about her.  Google then led to me to her Museum in Illinois that she currently runs (www.candlesholocaustmuseum.org) which then led me to the trips that they offer to Auschwitz every year.  This year just happens to be the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz of which not only Eva is attending the ceremony but about 100 other survivors will be present for as well.

I immediately started my application and getting the funds for it because this, to me, was no coincidence and just an opportunity of a lifetime.

I'm happy to say that in 16 days I will be on a flight to Poland to attend the ceremony, tour Auschwitz with Eva as my guide, and explore Poland with new friends.  The adventurer in me is in heaven right now and I can't even explain how excited I am and how blessed I feel!!

Entrance of Auschwitz..how prisoners would enter on trains.

Eva Kor pointing to herself as at age 10 she and her twin sister were apart of "Dr. Mengele's twins".