Retrospective Berlin Blog

Leaving Berlin is so bittersweet; while I am looking forward to adventure that lies in Spain. I can't help but feel sad to be leaving Berlin, a place that actually reminded me a lot of home! The days initially went by so slowly, but as I acclimated to the city and started forming friendships the 2 weeks flew by before I knew it. On my first day when I arrived in Germany, I guess I was feeling rather ambitious because I decided to take public transportation, transfers in all, to the hostel. I remember feeling rather overwhelmed, especially hearing all of the stops said in German. I remember thinking how out of place I felt and how I didn't think I would get the hang of the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, or anything else. Luckily two weeks later I can definitely say that was not the case. Berlin kind of felt like a second home. I knew my way around the city, enjoyed getting a little lost, and even found a favorite (and cheap) dinner spot. I feel very lucky to have had the privilege of studying at the prestigious Humboldt University, a school that has such a rich history. The atmosphere of Kreuzberg was so laid back. I would often see people walking around at 9 in the morning with beer in their hands surrounded by friends. There was a lot of music played on the streets, even the U-bahn, which would always brighten my day. While I was initially intimidated by the stern faces, I learned that if you just approached them, people could turn out to surprise you.  One of my most memorable experiences in Berlin was the interview I had the opportunity of conducting with a young teacher. It was so profound to hear his experiences and how that differed from what the EU claimed Germany's education system was set up. I got a glimpse into the German class room and was honestly amazed by how hard teachers work, but I was not surprised. I was also taken aback by the way people described autism. I found it interesting that people still said "suffered from autism" because that conveys that a person is suffering if they have autism, which is not the case. I have traveled through Europe with my family before, but being in a foreign country by myself was such a different experience. I have since realized what a good planner my mom is!On last thing that really struck me about Berlin was all the street art. It was everywhere, it was beautiful, and it really reflected the culture of the people within the city. A lot of the art has political meaning which made me wonder whether the art reflected the sentiment of the public of the sentiment of perhaps one radical individual. I'm sad to be leaving, I'm curious to see if Spain will be able to top my experience in Germany. Berlin has set the bar high.