Throughout this trip I was excited to be able to immerse myself in the cultures of several different countries. I got to try their foods, learn their customs and slang, and see all of their different landmarks. In Poland, it was no different. In Poland I was able to try their foods and see historic places that are special to the Poles such as the Wawau Castle. However, the only way to truly immerse yourself in the culture is to meet the people, and that is exactly what I did.
Ten of our group decided to take a pierogi cooking class taught by a Polish grandmother. We made three kinds of pierogi, lamb, cheese, and saurerkraut and cabbage. We started by making the dough. We each took turns kneading the dough and mixing it up. After that, we learned how to fold different kinds of pierogis. I needed a lot of help getting the hang of folding pierogis, but once I got the hang of it I was the best. When creating our pierogis was done our teacher laid out a delicious spread of meats, pickles, breads, and fruits with lentil soup. Finally, the moment we were all waiting for arrived, and we were able to feast on our creations. They were the best pierogis I have ever had. I believe I ate 19 pierogis, and I wanted more but my stomach couldn’t handle it. This experience was one of my favorites on the trip. Everyone had a good time, and we all learned a lot about Polish traditions and food while stuffing our faces with delicious pierogis. I don’t want the trip to end, but I’m very excited to share what I’ve learned about pierogi making with my friends and family and make my own pirogis back in the States.

I’m writing this post as we’re leaving Omaha Beach, and my thoughts and feelings on the beach are all in a jumble. Part of the reason for this blog post is to sort out what I’m thinking on the beach. I walked to the edge of the beach where the English Channel was smoothing out the sands, and I looked up at the land before me, trying to envision being a soldier on June 6th, 1944. In my mind’s eye the restaurants, villas, and ice cream parlors were replaced with German pill boxes, and machine guns with armor piercing rounds were waiting to rip me to pieces. I wondered, as we all did, if I would have been brave enough to run the few hundred yards from the water’s edge to the cliff’s looming in the distance. It’s a difficult question to answer, and I think those soldiers almost eighty years ago were wondering the same thing, “am I brave enough?”
Before leaving the beach Professor Steigerwald asked us what we thought of the beach becoming a vacation destination. Along the beach front were large houses and restaurants, and children played along the beach and built sand castles. Some thought it disrespectful, but I thought it was fitting. While the beach was once a graveyard, it is also a place of liberation. The soldiers who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day did not give the ultimate sacrifice just so no one could enjoy their liberation. The beaches of Normandy should be a place for remembrance, but also a place of joy. As I’m writing this, I think again of what the soldiers of D-Day were thinking. If they thought they would be brave enough to run across that beach. I wonder if they found strength in the fact that they were there to liberate, and that if they died then that sacrifice would be worth it for those who came after D-Day would be free.