August 19th// I am on the plane back to Boston. I’ve decided that living in the United States is not something I want to do anymore. There was a level of freedom I experienced in Berlin that I do not think is possible in the USA.
One thing I appreciated the most about Berlin was how safe I felt. I never (perhaps I should’ve just to be on the safer side) worried about getting shot or stabbed or stalked for too long. Of course there were moments where I felt scared, but I never felt prohibited from exploring the city because of a fear of crime. I feel like I saw more of Berlin than I ever will of Chicago/Evanston because of how “safe” it feels.
However, being a Black person in Berlin isn’t the best feeling. Sometimes it felt as though I was perceived as a threat and a potential problem. A lot of the people I befriended were Africans who were constantly stopped and searched by police officers. The feeling of being alert and wary of police never left even though we were in a different country.
Other than that, Berlin is a wonderful place!