I am abroad again!
Traveling to new places is obviously exciting – there is no doubt about it. Yet it seems to be a pattern that I choose places I have already been to before in my life for study abroad. Freshman year: London, then dialogue #1 Spain and now I am in Berlin for dialogue #2. What is also a pattern is that I first visited these places when I was in my preteen ages, 8-11 years old. Living in Germany it was like we were on a mission to visit many places around Euopre. I am so fortunate for all the traveling but I realize that since I was young at the time I barely remember them unless I see photographs.
I like rediscovering places. I choose places that I had great memories in but want to make new ones. Germany will alway be one of my favorite countries I have lived in and so deciding to apply for a program that would take me there for 5 weeks in the summer while studying photography was a no brainer. Here I am – Berlin, ich bin bereit (Berlin, I am ready).
As in London and Spain, I am coming in with memories but a new independent viewpoint. I am eating snacks of my childhood and walking past museums I remember running around without truly understanding their significance before. All while discovering completely new areas of the city and creating unique memories. 10 years later this city has grown, developed and changed, sometimes unrecognizably. Just like I have. Two old friends reuniting.
It has been almost two weeks and I am settled in to the lifestyle and pace of Berlin. Unlike London that was very fast paced or Spain that was relaxed in its siesta mentality, Berlin is unapologetic. It gives no explanation to why buildings are how they are, why people dress the way they do, or even the weather. The pace is “to each his own”.
Every day is full of new excitement. Discovering a new place to sit by the Spree (river) or a new beer garden that over looks the city. Our week is divided evenly between classes and tours, which I appreciate greatly in terms of productivity and exploration. Two days a week we have studio classes and the other two we tour different places of Berlin. Fridays are reserved for field trips to farther places like Potsdam, Dessau. Weekends are free for us to roam.
Time is passing way too quickly. I am enjoying every day as much as possible with my new friends in this crazy city.
More to come (accompanied by beer of course).
Hallo!