The Unexpected Emotional Impact of Traveling Through WWII Europe

After two months traveling through France, the Netherlands, Germany, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary and Poland, Memorial Day no longer feels the same to us. We started this journey chasing adventure after retiring early, selling everything, and traveling the world full time. But walking through places scarred by WWII history changed our perspective in ways we never expected. For us, Memorial Day has always been personal. From family history tied to the American Civil War and WWII; to military service and the loss of brothers-in-arms from Iraq; remembrance was already deeply meaningful. But standing in the places where millions of soldiers and civilians — Allied and Axis alike — lived, fought, suffered, and died gave us a broader understanding of the true cost of war and the shared humanity behind history. This video is part travel story, part reflection, and part conversation about how seeing the world can fundamentally change the way we think about sacrifice, remembrance, and Memorial Day itself.