WWII fiend

I know what I want. I have a goal. I have opinions, a religion, and love.

-Anne Frank

So yesterday we went to the Anne Frank house, as I mentioned in my last post. 

This was up here with d-day in my books... haha maybe I'm just a WWII fanatic. 

It was so touching to walk through the house where her and her family were in hiding for 2 years. It made it all come alive. I've grown up hearing the story, but seeing how small each room was, and realizing that this young girl and her family did not leave their house for over two years, couldn't even crack a window- it all made it very real being there. How awful would that be to live in constant fear, even within the walls of your own home?

There were quotes all along the walls in the house from her journal.  These were my favorites:

"One day this terrible war will be over. The time will come when we'll be people again and not just Jews!"

"Kugler, who at times find the enormous responsibility for the eight of us overwhelming, can hardly talk from the pent-up tension and strain."

"During the day our curtains can't be opened, not even an inch."

"I long to ride a bike, dance, whistle, look at the world, feel wrong and know that I'm free."

Anne Frank House

Sometimes I feel slightly odd loving the depressing, agonizing parts of history such as war, but I think what appeals to me is how much we learn about humanity by studying these traumatic events. It's so interesting how people react in different situations. I've thought many times as I've viewed all these sites how a whole nation allowed such awful, chilling things to happen to innocent people. I understand how they were desperate for a leader with the follow up of WWI and all of that, but it makes me wonder what I would do in those type of situations. 

And even more so, I love hearing the stories of bravery, kindness, and love that so many individuals, noticed and unnoticed, portray in the face of so much horror. 

Anyways... sorry about the weirdly deep tangent. We got lectured on taking pictures at the d-day sites so I was a little apprehensive to take pictures of this, hence the lack of. Sorry! 

But if you ever find yourself in Amsterdam, the Anne Frank house is a must.