In hindsight...

With a little more than 72 hours back on U.S. soil and exhaustion still, very much a factor in adapting to everyday life, my body and mind are struggling to recover. Now, with a less demanding schedule than we had for the past three weeks, I am trying to reclaim and make sense of everything I experienced during our travels.
Which, for me, is proving to be more of a challenge than I initially fathomed it would be. Prior to our departure to Central Eastern Europe, we devoted three weeks in the classroom to prepare us for our studies abroad. In hindsight, not only was three weeks in the classroom too short, it is near impossible to prepare someone for the experiences we encountered.
Our objective was to analyze the structure of communism and the role of the media in its ultimate fall. In many ways, our experiences abroad contradicted our prior studies. In the classroom the scope was very narrow and in some respects one sided. As we studied communism, an oppressive, meek, black and white picture was painted
Unaware at the time, I left the United States overwhelmed, naive and jaded. Not far into our travels, did I discover, the little knowledge I had of communism was solely based off of an American perspective. As our travels commenced, the picture that was presented was no longer black and white. Various shades of grey presented themselves leaving myself and other students even more puzzled.
Most importantly, communism is a word very seldom used in Central Eastern Europe. Communism was never achieved nor experienced in these societies. It was the ultimate goal for the ruling Soviet Regime – a societal utopia that they were hoping to reach. But, were never able to, socialism was the only practice that was accomplished in Eastern Europe. I mention this because; in our first meeting with a Professor in Budapest we were corrected. Eastern Europeans do not refer to what they’ve experienced as communism, it was socialism. And, I as re-visit my experiences over the past three weeks that first meeting still stands out to me. It set the tone for the rest of the trip and we would be corrected many times following that initial meeting.
Whether or not, socialism was good or bad is most definitely subjective. At the mention of socialism, nostalgia still sets in for some. I was taken back by the number of individuals we encountered that, longed for the “good ‘ole days.” For quite a few people socialism marked a time in their lives when they had security. Never, did they wake up and have to wonder if they would still have a job. Now, with a fairly new democratic society these same people find themselves struggling to adjust. Homelessness is new to them, as well as the competition that comes with a democracy. On the other hand, there are a number of people who do believe a democratic society is better and will lead to a more prosperous future – it is just a matter of time and adjusting.
Adversely, there were still remnants of how harsh life was during the rule of the Soviet party in many of these countries. Visits to places like the Terror House in Hungary, ship yards in Poland and the Jewish memorial and the Berlin wall in Germany brought about a bleak feeling. It was a constant reminder of how far these countries have come in the past 20 years. This brings about another point.
Aside from the knowledge I gained, on what socialism was truly like for those that lived through it were the spirits of the people. I was awestruck by the strength of the people in the four countries that we visited. Their spirits were strong, as well as their devotion to their culture and their zest for life was contagious. I was enveloped completely by the people’s warmth. For me, my personal encounters with strangers in Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland and Germany were the most enlightening.
All in all, my experiences in Europe have far exceeded what anyone can gain sitting in a classroom. I am most grateful for the people I met while abroad. I am now faced with the task of trying to further make sense of all I’ve gained during the past six weeks. This trip marks only the beginning for me, it has also reiterated why I am pursuing a career as a journalist – to develop a deeper personal understanding of how cultures, industries, economies, companies; government agencies and key decision-making individuals function. In traveling to these various countries I believe it pits your will and wits against those who possess information and who would wish to suppress it. And, I have learned how to overcome that. Lastly this trip has influenced my life by permitting me to experience the level of access to interesting people and events, as outlined above.

Danke schön to all that have accompanied us during our travels! And thank you to all of the Professors and students for such a phenomenal experience!!

...Until we meet again Europe

Kyara Massenburg