Normandy

Normandy was like a little piece of paradise from the constant thunder of Paris. It was so much fun traveling with Jeff, Gaelle, and the group. The beautiful rustic villages and mysterious pathways were a breath of fresh air. What I really enjoyed was the freedom and ability to go on walks in the morning and at dusk. The fields and mini paths were refreshing and so good for my soul. I love Paris but in Normandy I didn't have to worry about pickpockets or missing my metro stop. It was glorious!

Although the trip was very light and fun it had very deep and unexpected heaviness. Looking back on the trip my heart wasn't ready for the heaviness and experiences I was going to discover. I wasn't prepared and in a way that hindered my ability to fully comprehend what I was witnessing. We went to many different places such as the beaches where D-day happened. The trails and bunkers were really cool to see. It's one thing to here about D-day in a class or textbook but one completely different thing to see the beach that our men climbed in action. It humbled me and gave me even more respect for our soldiers.

Another place we went to was the American cemetery. It was really funny because once we walked onto the location it oddly felt like home. Soon after that we found out that it was American claimed land that we were standing on. The grounds were absolutely beautiful. Flowers were everywhere and the grass was cut precisely. There were huge monuments honoring our men who fought. When you looked out there were rows of white crosses of men who died fighting. There is a pride that rises in you when you see what your country stands for. A country that has paid the price to gain freedom and a country who paid the price so that other countries might experience that same freedom. What really struck a cord in me was when I heard the Star Spangled Banner play throughout the cemetery. I was standing in a different country where our men fought on those beaches courageously. It changed my perspective and changed my outlook.

The third place that greatly impacted me was the German cemetery. This was one place my heart was definitely not ready for on so many levels. When we walked in the atmosphere was completely different. It was silent and mournful. When we walked through the stone crosses there were so many graves that were nameless. There were no monuments honoring those men, no exceedingly beautiful

grounds. The atmosphere was hopeless. The German cemetery stood there to show the consequences of war. The reckless waste of lives that war takes and never gives back.

It was so interesting to hear how Jeff and Gaëlle viewed the cemetery and the war. They see the wreckage the war had on Europe and how almost every family has been impacted by it. In America we only have monuments and stories that helps us remember. We aren't surrounded by the affects it had. It was very different to realize and even try to comprehend the differing views. That is the only major culture shock I've experienced because I wasn't expecting it. I never realized that Americans view World War I and II very differently than Europeans. It was very eye opening and changed my perspective greatly. I loved hearing their views and listening to them talk about the cemeteries and places we went on our trip to Normandy.