I have four midterms and a presentation next week, so I probably will not be posting for a while. I need to study, study, study. Something I feel like I haven't done in a long time. The last big exams I had were in December back at USC for finals.
Just a little update...
It's freezing here! It snowed all day Thursday and Friday! And it's just been cold today. Yesterday was National Day here in Hungary. All museums were free, so Dany, Anthony, and me went to the Holocaust museum and the National Museum. The Holocaust museum was incredible, fascinating, and extremely disturbing. It was a lot of reading and pictures, and I just couldn't believe what I was learning. I didn't know that they used the Jews for pseudo-medical experiments. For example, they would use infected needles on people to see how they would react. Or, they used a baby to experiment on doing a bunch of things that I cannot even write down because it just breaks my heart. The bodies I saw were literally nothing - skin and bones. I don't know how the survivors did it. I learned that the Hungarian jews were the quickest group of jews to be rejected and that Hungary was the fastest country to "de-Jew." I also learned that it wasn't pressure from Nazi Germany for Hungary to start ridding Jews, but it was actually pressure from the extreme right government of Hungary. Additionally, the Hungarian Jews were the greatest population of deaths at Auschwitz concentration camp, which further increased my desire to see Auschwitz. I am planning a trip right now to go to Krakow, Poland and then take a quick bus to see Auschwitz. As much as it will be a shocking experience, I think is is something I just have to see in my life and while I'm here, I want to do it. I've heard that it's a really hard place to visit. I'll probably be in tears the entire time, but again, it's part of history and the part of history I want/need to see.
I booked my flights to go to Amsterdam next weekend!! Going to see my Dutch heritage! I am meeting my best friend from USC, CARLY SANTIAGO, there!!! She will be visiting one of her friends from high school who is studying abroad there (whom I've met before). I cannot wait to see Carly - it's been way too long!! I wish all my friends from SC were coming to Europe for their spring break!
After Amsterdam weekend, I have the weekend trip to Transylvania with ESN! Transylvania is the second, and last, ESN organized travel weekend and I wasn't going to go (and instead use the long weekend to visit a country in western Europe), but I decided I'm going to go because I don't think I'll have another chance in my life to visit Romania! I chose Budapest for its Eastern Europe location, so I want to stick to the eastern Europe side. I'm sure I'll have a chance to come back to Europe and see France, Spain, Germany, Ireland, and Portugal, but for now I think it's worth it to visit all the eastern European countries near Budapest.
So, my travel plans have changed a bit. After Transylvania, I am planning on doing Prague, Vienna, Krakow/Auschwitz like I said, Bratislava, and Greece. If I have time and money for any other trips then I will consider it, too!
So long as I hibernate for a week for midterms. I will most likely write after my trip to Amsterdam unless anything super fascinating comes up!
xx
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