Miss List

Although I am indescribably excited about going home, (mostly about seeing my sweet momma) I also inexplicably saddened to leave this beautiful place.

Berlin is a place like no other. Spend a few weeks there and you will understand why. I believe it is not something that can be told, only experienced and felt. Berlin is different because it makes things possible.

There are so many things that I will miss about the city of Berlin. Some are big, some are small.

Maybe it is something I picked up from the people there, enjoying the small things. People in Berlin don’t seem to forget to indulge in simple pleasures like parks and ice cream cones and moments.

It would be hard for me to imagine a businessman grab gelato on the way home from the office, but it happens here.

It would be difficult for me to meet someone who has dedicated his entire life to making belts out of bicycle tires, but met him here.

Berlin is full of rarities, full of surprises.

1. Flower/market shops:

They are everywhere! Walking down the street in the middle of the city there are probably at least two shops within sight at all times. They are beautiful and colorful and hopeful. I will definitely miss that.

2. Cafes:

Most cafe are not chains in Berlin. They are locally owned and operated businesses that use the freshest of the fresh ingredients. I have had some of the cutest, most tasty teas, coffees, sandwiches and pastries.

3. Our Street:

It was beautiful at all hours of the day. We were in the perfect location in East Berlin. There were new buildings pushed right up next to ones from WWII. The juxtaposition of that was so interesting to me.

We were also only about 4 stops from Alexanderplatz, a main train station in the city, which became sort of a home base for us.

There were a few restaurants on our street that we just couldn’t seem stay away from. Al dente was a great Italian place. We became pretty good friends with a Macedonian waiter there named Afrim. He would give us free wine and brochetta whenever we came in for dinner.

Espresso was our other favorite spot. They serve a simple menu of sandwiches and coffee. My favorite was the tomato, mozzarella and basil sandwich with a chai latte. The man working there was always so kind to us. The best of the best.

Last but certainly not least, Princess. Princess was our savior. When all else failed or you needed a quick bite to eat, the man at Princess would always have your back. They sold döner kebap, a Turkish dish, and pizza 24-7. He was so kind and funny, always doing his absolute best to speak English with us. He asked us to visit him in our future travels to Berlin.

4. Naps:

Okay, I know this is strange. Why would I go to Europe and sleep the day away? Well, our days were packed full. Many nights we would be out late exploring and wake up early to continue our adventures. Before dinner, some of us would take about an hour nap in the afternoon to rejuvenate.

Honestly, I can appreciate a good nap in America, on planes, in Europe – really anywhere. These naps were special though, because our rooms were just so wonderful. We had huge windows overlooking the city that we left open as a form of natural AC.

It was just a simple, indescribable type of beautiful to wake up to birds chirping and church bells ringing every morning and afternoon.

5. Humana:

This was a thrift store, similar to Goodwill. We went to a total of 3 different Humana stores, including a 5 story one across the city, the largest in Germany. I bought some great stuff. A total of 5 shirts and a bag.

6. Parks:

Although Berlin is very much a city, it is also very much a place of natural beauty. There are parks everywhere. Always a nice place to jog or take photos or read a book. It’s a lovely part of Berlin.

7. Public transportation:

I love riding the bus anyways, but in Berlin, you constantly have 4 different methods of transportation available to you. There is the regular bus, the tram, the U-Bahn (underground) and the S-Bahn (sky). It was so fun to figure out different routes to where you were going.

8. My new friends:

As Amber would say, these ladies were “bangin’ like a biscuit.” I can not be more thankful for the sweet blessings I was given on this trip. They were so perfect and fun to be around. The trip could not have been even half of what it was without them. I can’t wait for Summer B and Fall semesters. I have some great new friends. “Yes ma’am!”

Mostly I will miss the feeling of ‘fitting’ in Berlin. Everyone fits in Berlin. That is absolutely astounding to me. There is a place for everyone there. Like our tour guide told me, it is a place you can start fresh and be who you want to be, because everyone can be a Berliner.

I don’t really think you have to live there to be one either. I think it is something in your heart or in your soul. It is a drive to be who you are that makes you a Berliner.

Now I know some of these things – like gelato and flower shops and coffee – are not exclusive to Berlin, but they are still an important part of it.

Like I said before, Berlin makes things possible. It allows people to try out their passions with fewer feelings of judgement, less fear of failure.

It is a city of opportunity, both for those who live there and those who are just passing through.

So thankful for the opportunity of Berlin. What a life-changing, eye-opening experience it was.

Farewell Berlin, you will be missed. See you soon.

Xoxo Megan

The Most Beautiful Thing.

Of all the things I have heard about Berlin, the truest has to be: It is a place you have to “get.”

It isn’t a place you can take at face value. It is a place you have to dive into, headfirst, ready for something exciting and spectacular.

There is always something going on in Berlin. I almost feel as though the entire city has been planning for months in preparation for my visit here. Every day I discover something new, something diverse, something exciting.

I have been to so many festivals here that celebrate different cultures. The first one that I went to was actually called “The Festival of Cultures.” It was a huge street party event with music, food, drink, performers, a parade, venders and more. People from places I hadn’t even heard of were represented there. I had such a great time with some of the girls on the trip. Then again, I’ve discovered that it’s hard not to have fun here.

Katie, Andrea, Caitlin, Lauren, Sarah and I at the Festival of Cultures in West Berlin.

Cheers!

I also got the chance to go to a Turkish Festival. I made some beautiful art with a Turkish woman and also got to explore Potsdamer Platz. I even found a couple pieces of the wall!

The Sony Center, Berlin

Original remnants of the Berlin Wall.

Another awesome experience I had was getting to go to the Friedrichstadt Palast. It has the largest theatre stage in the entire world. We saw a show called “Show Me.”

Clearly Berlin is a place full of life and creativity. Especially though, it is a place full of freedom. Ever since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, it seems the city has gained a sense of freedom both literally and figuratively. The wall truly was a tangible symbol of an inexplicable captivity. Now, along with the wall, this inescapable judgement and confinement is fallen.

Today, Berliners don’t infringe on the freedoms, the passions or the paths of other Berliners. It is just the way of life here. As our walking tour guide Alex said, “You can be whoever you want, no one questions where you came from.” Anyone can become a Berliner, no matter where you’re from. I did, he said.

Of all the architecture, monuments, sunsets and fashion, this is the most beautiful thing I have seen yet. The freedom people have over their destiny here is astounding. The ability to come somewhere completely new from where you were and create a future that is perfectly your own.

Berlin may have a severed past, but there seems to be such a hopeful present and an incredibly beautiful future.

Finally, an update!

So sorry for the crazy delay in my blogging. The internet in our hotel has been so flakey. Because of how many people are trying to log on, the network keeps crashing. But here are some updates of what is going on in the city of Berlin…

My second day, our group went on a bike tour. It was the absolute most fun experience. We rode eight miles around east and west Berlin and saw so many places. It was great because although many stops on our tour were well known places, many were unique Berlin secrets that have to be discovered.

This was our tour guide, Sophie. She was great. She actually is British and decided to move to Berlin after a short weekend trip here. She instantly fell in love with the city and has been here ever since. “You will never hear me say a negative word about Berlin,” she said.

One of the first stops was the world’s largest nightclub, Berghain. It fits thousands of people and is almost impossible to get into.

The next place we went was called Urban Spree. It is a complete block covered in graffiti and art. There is a bar, a club, a gallery, food, a skatepark, a climbing gym – everything you can imagine.

 

This place really made me start “getting” Berlin. Sophie explained to us that Berlin is not something you can take at face value. It is something you have to “get” and understand on a deeper, more creative and free level.

 

We ate lunch at a great Turkish restaurant.

Right after lunch it was pretty much a torrential downpour in the city of Berlin. We continued our journey with our ponchos on. I actually think it ended up being quite fun.

 

 

After the tour, we all warmed up at the hotel and got ready for a nice dinner out at the italian restaurant across the street.

More soon! Going off to meet with my project personality.

xoxo Megan

My First Day in Berlin. (it’s a long one)

Well, although I payed 6 euro for internet connection and almost 30 euro for food and drink, I survived my first day and night alone in Berlin.

This was my meal the first night. It was a salad with “Berlin-style” potato soup. It was delicious.

Today, I was scheduled to meet with Professor Freeman, Lauren and Shannon at the airport at 11:50 to catch the bus to the hotel. I showed up at the airport and ran into Jake, another student on the trip. We explored the airport while awaiting the others.

Unfortunately after waiting until 12:30, we found out their flight was still delayed due to some complications. We decided to attempt the bus and streetcar journey to the hotel on our own.

We first had to buy a ticket. We bought the AB (ah-bay) ticket, meaning it would take us only one way, for 2,40 euro. We hopped on the bus and took a winding tour through central Berlin.

An older German woman noticed the confused looks on Jake and I’s faces as we tried to figure out our stop. She started giving me directions in English and we started a conversation. She was so helpful and interesting. She pointed out buildings like Berlin’s first hospital, where several famous doctors have worked, and the Russian embassy, while explaining that her relatives had lived in East Berlin when the wall was up. She was a remarkable lady, who thankfully got us to our destination.

After getting off at Alexanderplatz train station, we hopped onto the M4 tram which took us further into East Berlin, towards our hotel. (Remember this entire journey included a 48 lb. suitcase, a duffle and a backpack.) I was completely wiped.

Before we could even get to the elevator, we were greeted by some other group members who invited us to go exploring. Of course, we agreed.

We walked down the street to get a drink. I had a German fruit kombucha tea that was awesome.

We explored a beautiful cemetery. There were graves from the 1800’s  and most plots were for entire families. It was like a sanctuary rather than a traditional American cemetery.

Finally, we headed back to meet for dinner. We first went to the Berlin Wall Memorial, where we could view an original part of the wall as well as “No Man’s Land” and the surrounding areas.

Afterwards we walked to the Prater Biergarten, where we ate dinner.

   

After dinner, we took the scenic route home and got some ice cream. Not sure what I ordered, but it was fab.

Then, of course, we ended the night with a spur of the moment group adventure and a nice glass of house wine.

My official first day with the group has been an incredible experience. The fact that I am in Europe is still just beginning to sink in. And the fact that I will be here for an entire 14 days is completely beyond my comprehension. So now, I would like to take a line or so to thank some people… My Poppop, for providing the tickets for this trip, my Minnie, for being the most supportive, selfless grandmother in the world, who helped fund this trip, and of course my incredible parents who I could not be more thankful for, who are constantly supporting me financially, spiritually, emotionally and physically. I love you all, thank you so much for being a part of this experience.

Of course, I can’t leave you all out either now can I? A big thank you TO YOU. Thank you for reading my blog and being excited for me and my travels on this trip.

I can’t wait to share more with you. I am not sure if I have ever been this excited to wake up in the morning. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings. Gute Nacht everyone!

xoxo Megan

Alster: a German beer mixed with sweet lemonade.

Currently sitting at the Tegel airport in Berlin, awaiting the arrival of my professor and some more students. Thankfully, as soon as I got here this morning I ran into Jake, another student on the trip. (You can check out his Berlin blog at http://berlinsummer13.wordpress.com/) So far we have visited two German bars and met some interesting people. I had my first (and second) German beer. When in Berlin, do as the Berliners, right?

Finally in France.

Well, I just landed in Paris and I should be leaving for Berlin any minute now. The plane experience actually wasn’t bad at all. I got a window seat, first of all. Which is great for sleeping. I also sat next to a wonderful Christian woman on her way to southern France to visit her children and grandchildren who recently moved here. She was so interesting and friendly, and most importantly, she spoke english!

Although there were tons of clouds, the landing was absolutely breathtaking. There are so many different colors of earth in Paris. Yellows and greens and oranges and browns. Although I unfortunately don’t get to spend much time here in France, it has truly been an experience just to see it and experience the people for a short time.

Some interesting things I have noticed:

There aren’t paper towels in the bathrooms. It is more like a rotating cloth that you pull down to use. When the next person comes to dry their hands, they pull it again. This makes the used cloth rotate to the back while dispensing new cloth for them to use.

They are extremely relaxed. Security was a breeze, as was getting my boarding pass. People have been very helpful and knowledgable about the operations of the airport. Also, our flight takes off in 10 minutes and they have not even begun to board us.

With that said, I have also noted the fact that people really aren’t as rude as the stereotype suggests. There have been a few occasional ones, but it’s like that everywhere, right?

Lastly, people really don’t wear deodorant. It’s not a myth, it’s a very stinky truth.

Overall, my 45 minutes in Paris, France have been nice. Excited for the next stop: BERLIN.

Xoxo Megan

Here We Go.

Well, it’s time for the first official blog post of this crazy adventure…

A shooting.

A delayed flight.

A missed flight.

A hotel.

A day late.

Those are the things this crazy adventure has brought me so far.

When we first arrived at the Jacksonville airport, they told us all parking garages were closed until further notice. Turns out there was a shooting and an
attempted carjacking in the airport garage just 20 minutes before we arrived. Scary stuff.

After our trek from the parking lot to the airport terminal, I walked up to the desk to check in. Well, my first flight had been delayed 4 hours, which would cause me to miss my two connecting flights in Minneapolis and Amsterdam to finally arrive in Berlin.

Finally, after an hour on the phone, the customer service representative – who happens to live right down the street from me in Middleburg – found me three perfectly connecting flights to Berlin. I would barely have any layover and would be going through Paris! I was completely stoked, thinking my adventure was only getting better.

That short layover time turned out to be more of a curse than a blessing. My flight out of Jacksonville was projected to leave at 6:33 p.m. and ended up taking off nine minute after 7:00 p.m.

I knew I would have to rush to get to my flight, and I did just that. I ran. I ran without shoes. I ran like the crazy airport maniacs you see on family vacations. It was rough, but I at least thought it would pay off and be worth it.

I ran up to the gate, sweating, shoeless and out of breath, at precisely 8:32 p.m. I thought I had made it. I was getting on the flight to Paris, France! And I had run my butt off to get there. Well, turns out the doors to the plane had closed just a short two minutes prior, at exactly 8:30 p.m.

They sent me to the help desk, who gave me a phone number for a representative, who sent me to another gate, who sent me to the customer service desk, who sent me back to the second gate… It went on and on.

I’ve cried, I’ve sweat, I’ve ran, I’ve fought… But you know what else I’ve done? Gotten on a flight to Paris, France. I am currently sitting in seat 37A at an altitude of 33,000 feet and I’m on my way. I will be landing in Paris at 2:00 p.m., boarding a flight to Berlin, Germany at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow afternoon and officially arriving there at 5:50 p.m. that evening.

Also, big shout out to Katherine H. at Delta for making this happen. You go girl.

Needless to say, the start of this adventure has already taught me something. It has reminded me of one of my favorite quotes: “Life is not a destination, it is a journey.”

This is so very true. What would life be if everything was perfect all the time? It certainly wouldn’t be life, that’s for sure.

You can’t just quote your favorite quotes, you have to live them out. You have to be willing to roll with the punches and appreciate every twist and turn along the way. That’s the only way to enjoy the ride. With all that said, I am excited for this ride; even if it has been, and may continue to be, a little bumpy.

Keep checking the blog for more mishaps and mess ups in the life of Megan. Get excited, y’all, I am.

Xoxo Megan

Sister Sister

Saying goodbye to my favorite sister Carly before taking off from Jacksonville.

I thought a burger, fries and a Coke was a perfect way to leave the good ole U.S of A.

Just got internet! Been writing but some of these posts are from last night, I just wasn’t able to post them until now. I’ll catch you guys up as quick as I can!