There seems to be some magic in Berlin. Practically everyone who comes to this city feels like they belong, but how could that be so? How is it that daily I can be surrounded by native Berliners of varied backgrounds, seasoned ex-pats, students, vagabonding artists, temporary revolutionaries, and your everyday tourist and yet there seems to be room for everyone? That’s the magic of this city. There is room for everyone! The city itself has been reinventing itself over and over, which means that its population is ever changing and fluctuating, an environment ripe for wanderers just trying to find their place.
My german, for example, still leaves something to be desired. I have taken classes for a year and now this summer, but Rome was not built in a day and indeed my german will not be built in one summer. Despite this fact, I find myself finding small connections with people all over the city— from the man who makes my döner, to the woman I sat next to at a drag show (said drag performer, Judy LaDivina, pictured! If you are looking for a perfect example of acceptance and warmth for visitors, this Israeli phD student turned popular Berlin drag queen is the perfect example!), to the babies I see on the bus. The people in this city interact with each other much in the same way that the city interacts with its people— with curiosity, with acceptance. A city for everyone, a home away from home, and one of my new favorite places in the world.
