In March, I went on a wonderful trip to Krakow, Poland, which was organized by YFU. Exchange students from YFU Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, and Hungary all joined this trip together. For me, it was a  new and exciting experience to meet so many people from different backgrounds. It was really interesting because we all have different daily lives and experiences as exchange students, even though we are currently living in neighboring countries in Europe. We enjoyed talking about our schools and what we felt during our exchange years.

The most memorable and meaningful part of the trip was our visit to the Auschwitz Museum. We walked around the museum with a professional guide, so we could see the exhibits while listening to a lot of important historical information. The guide explained everything in deep detail. Even though I already knew about this dark history from school  before going there, seeing the real place with my own eyes was completely different. I felt something very strong that I still cannot put into words. It was a serious and unforgettable moment that made me think deeply about the past and the world.

Of course, we also had a lot of fun together during the trip. One of my favorite memories is playing card games with other students in our room at midnight. They were all new friends to me, and they kindly taught me a new game that I didn't know. We laughed a lot while learning the rules and playing together. After that night, we started talking much more than before, and we got really close.

Finally, I fell in love with the city of Krakow. It is a very beautiful, romantic, and historical place with a great atmosphere. I remember that I was moved so deeply when I walked from the station to the hostel alone. Just looking around the beautiful streets and old buildings became one of my best memories of this exchange year.

This YFU trip was the perfect balance of learning about history and making great lifelong friends!

Hanna- Japan/CZ