Only six days until my voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. I strategically booked a flight that leaves around midnight; if I sleep on the flight over, I should have a head-start on beating my jetlag.
I am endlessly excited for my time in Berlin this summer. I have never left the United States, and this is an incredible opportunity for me to broaden my horizons. I really hope to immerse myself in Berlin’s notoriously ‘artsy’ culture. This would not only provide me with an understanding of Berlin and Germany’s social inner workings, but also give me plenty of chances to practice and improve my German. I have only a quarter’s worth of German, so that is a bit worrying. But I’ve heard time and time again that Berlin is pretty manageable with a small amount of German.
I think I may be most eager to experience the history of the city. I am a bit of a history junky, and Berlin is no stranger to important historical events. In fact, I think it may be the most historically relevant city of the 20th century. It was the soil bed of the Nazi party. I am pumped to go to museums and look at authentic propaganda posters and other relics of this period. And then, ya know, the Cold War left a little mark on Berlin. A little mark in the form of two massive walls dividing the entire city. It seems almost unbelievable that this happened, and especially that it happened so recently. To see this in person will be to experience and understand history.
I am about to head to Walmart (a classic American experience) to pick up some final supplies (a blanket for my flight), so I will conclude my captivating entry here. See you in Berlin!