Berlin

Brandenburg Gate

Berlin and even Germany as a whole actually were never places I never specifically set out to visit.   Somehow I ended up here almost accidentally, and I'm so glad I did.

I wouldn't necessarily have gone to Germany if it wasn't for my friend Claudia, and I wouldn't have necessarily gone to Berlin if it wasn't for my other friend Ramona.

Me and Ramona at the East Side Gallery,  where murals are painted on pieces of the Berlin Wall

Berlin is a difficult city to describe.  Many parts of it reminded me of San Francisco, especially the little vegan/vegetarian hole-in-the-wall restaurant I ate at most nights for dinner.  Naan pizza, burritos and teriyaki tofu under one roof?  So Bay Area.

But the history that penetrates Berlin is unlike anything I've ever experienced, and it adds a certain somber tone to the city.   A palpable loss that is impossible to ignore.

At the Jewish museum, in one of the "memory voids" that represents the missing Jews of Europe due to the Holocaust.

My first full day in Berlin I went on an 8 hour walking tour.  Yes, that's not a typo.  EIGHT hours of criss-crossing Berlin, but I'm so glad I did it! Although I couldn't feel my legs for the next few days, I learned so much about Berlin's history and got a good feel for how I should spend the rest of my time in the city.

The tour guide pointed out a lot of things I wouldn't have necessarily noticed, like how many buildings still had shrapnel damage, or how just by looking at the architecture you could tell that some entire city blocks were obliterated by Allied bombing in WWII.

WWII shrapnel damage 

WWII history is fairly well covered in American high schools, but I knew virtually nothing about what happened to Germany after the war.  Through out the day, we crossed from East to West Berlin multiple times, and it was hard to imagine the little line of cobblestones in the middle of the street was once a heavily fortified border.  

From West Berlin looking East

Chilling graffiti on the wall

I'm an avid reader of dystopian literature.  It's definitely my guilty pleasure genre.  I've read 1984 more times than I can count, and finished the Wool Silo Saga just a few days ago.  My hostel was located in the Eastern part of Berlin, which was once part of the GDR (German Democratic Republic, the Soviet occupied part of Germany during the cold war period.)

Former Stasi headquarters

During my stay in Berlin I was able to visit the former Stasi (East German secret police) headquarters and the GDR museum, which was wonderfully interactive.  The museum was quite a surreal experience.  Every plaque and exhibit felt like it was right out of the pages of 1984.  From the diary of a GDR resident who kept track of unobtainable items to the bugged apartment,  it reminded me of the overwhelming feeling I always get reading about Oceania and Ingsoc. 

In one part of the museum you could listen to what visitors were saying in the replica East German living room

While I still know very little about the GDR, I am definitely planning on learning more.  I've already downloaded a book on the subject and am already enjoying it--as much as one can enjoy reading about a brutal communist dictatorship I suppose.   

Memorial for the Jewish victims of WWII.  A whole city block was taken up by towering, gray columns. 

But my time in Berlin wasn't all serious all the time.  On the tour I met a wonderful group of Americans who so generously included me in their photos and explorations that afternoon, even though they were traveling together and it would have been easy for them to remain an exclusive group.  And a few days after I arrived in Berlin I was joined by my penpal Ramona and her friend (who is now also my dear friend) Lucy.  

Even though I had already experienced Ramona and her family's generosity, I was still blown away by how accommodating and encouraging her and Lucy both were.  Ramona even arrived with a gift for me (seriously?!?), a very handy German phrase book.  

With Lucy, enjoying a radler after a long day of sightseeing

I'm trying hard to look forward on my trip and not start counting all the things I wish I'd seen.  It's only been a little over a week and already there are multiple sights in Nuremberg and Berlin I'd wish I'd made time for.  It's hard to not think that I could have fit more in, that I could have rested less and pushed myself to go out and explore more.  But I know with more than 3 months to go, I definitely need to keep a slower pace than travelers who are only in Europe for a few weeks.  I can't just push through the exhaustion forever, and I'm working hard on being okay with that.

Sunday morning flea market.  I managed to find some unique souvenirs.
GDR stamps and coins as well as "inflation money" (100 million marks notes)

Ramona kept reminding me that I'll have to return to Germany one day.  After all I have to visit Bamberg's Christmas market sometime.  And who knows, there are a few portions of my trip where I don't have anything planned.  It seems silly to go back to a place I've already been when there's still so much of Europe to see, but Berlin is the first city I've really fallen in love with in a long time.  There are definitely places I've enjoyed, but there was something impossible to describe about how I felt in Berlin.

I always expected it to be wandering through in Montmartre in Paris, or relaxing on a beach in Santorini, Greece where I would find my passion for travel.  I didn't foresee that it would be entering the stuffy U-Bahn (metro) station, hurrying down the steps to catch the train in the middle of Berlin where I would pause and think to myself that even with all the stress, the anxiety, the panic...

I wouldn't rather be anywhere else but here.  

Cloud No. Seven

As soon as I knew the final dates I would be in Germany, I messaged my two German penpals and let them know when I would be visiting.  It has long been a dream of mine to meet one (or all!) of my penpals and I wanted to take the opportunity if it was possible while I was in Europe.

I've been writing to Ramona for a while, and from our very first letter we always "clicked."  While I love all my penpals, like all friendships each one has grown differently from the rest.  Ramona and I have very similar writing styles and like to write long, chatty letters (and include lots of "extras"), so we've always gotten along well--at least on paper.

When I told Ramona the dates I would be in Germany, she invited me to meet up with her and a friend in Berlin.  They were planning a trip for part of the time I would be in Germany, and it sounded like a great opportunity to see another German city that wasn't originally on my itinerary.

Before I left the US, the plan was to go from Prague to Berlin, then to Stuttgart to meet another penpal of mine.  After Prague was canceled, on my first full day in Germany, I posted photos of my day in Nuremberg.  You can imagine my surprise when Ramona commented that she would be there on Friday.

As it turns out, Ramona lives only about 20 minutes from Nuremberg, and since she was on her semester break she offered to not only spend the day showing me Bamberg (where she attends university), but also to pick me up in Nuremberg, let me stay at her parent's house for the night, and escort me to the bus to Berlin the next day.  She helped find me an inexpensive bus ticket direct to Berlin and absolutely went out of her way to make sure I felt welcomed and had a nice day.

Me with my wonderful penpal Ramona

I'm happy to report that not only do we make great penpals, but in person Ramona and I get along very well.  She met me at the train station in Nuremberg and after storing my luggage in a locker, we caught the train to Bamberg (did I mention Ramona borrowed a family ticket from her mother's friend so I didn't have to pay anything to get to Bamberg and back?!?)  We talked the whole 45 minute ride without an awkward pause.  I don't even remember what we talked about, but it felt great to have an actual conversation after several days of being pretty much on my own.

Bamberg's City Hall is situated in the middle of a river 

One of the many narrow, winding streets

Once in Bamberg we walked to the city center.  Bamberg is a fairly small city with less than 100,000 residents.  The center of a city is a UNECSO World Heritage Site.  Much of the town survived the two World Wars, and therefore displays some unique historical architecture.  Ramona had sent me postcards showing Bamberg (we both collect UNECSO postcards) and I knew if I had the opportunity I wanted to take a trip there.

The Dom Cathedral.  It contains the only papal grave outside of Italy or France

A courtyard where a fight scene from the Three Musketeers was filmed

Bamberg did not disappoint.  It is exactly what Americans imagine charming European town to look like.   We walked all over town, and I got a personal tour of the best sights.

After finishing our tour, we met up with one of Ramona's friends, Jenni, at a restaurant near their school.  Over a delicious lunch we talked about American stereotypes, idioms and Tchibo.  I crushed Ramona's world view when I explained Americans are ashamed to admit if they like McDonalds.  They taught me some German idioms, and I confirmed that "I understand only train station" is an actual expression in German.  We pondered why, in English, you say you're on cloud nine if you're extremely happy, whereas in German you're on cloud seven.  It was a great meal with great friends and while I was sitting there I realized this is why people travel.

This is why people spend hours on cramped flights and trains, forgoing sleep and familiarity.  This is why traveling is worth it.  All it takes is one beautiful city, one good meal, and one welcoming friend.

A former monastery

The view of Bamberg from the monastery garden

By the time we reached the train station, I was already yawning.  After two more train rides and a drive through the country we arrived at Ramona's house, in a small village of about 100 people.

Although her parents spoke very little English, they could have not been more welcoming.  Neither of them stopped smiling the whole time I was there.  Who said Germans are unfriendly?

My experience meeting Ramona will definitely remain a highlight of my trip, I'm sure.  And the good news is I get to spend a few more days sight seeing with her in Berlin!  I'm already looking forward to getting together with her again soon.

Bread and Mayonnaise

Today was another day of taking it easy and adjusting to being in Germany.  In the morning I hung out at the hostel and caught up on some emails about my placement in Morocco.

Around noon I decided to venture out and visit the Germanisches National Museum, since it is literally around the corner from my hostel.  It was a bit of a mix between fine art and every day artifacts spanning from before the middle ages to modern day.

 This ship was made entirely out of silver and even converted into a wine goblet!  It had something like 74 mini figureines acting out various scenes on the deck, including, according to the audio tour a "pair of lovers."  Couldn't find them though (yes, of course I had to look!)  

 If you've seen my room at home, you'll know it's covered in maps so it's no surprise that one of my favorite items was this globe.  It's the earliest spherical depiction of the Earth and was created around the time Columbus was sailing to the Americas.  The surface is illustrated with little pictures of landmarks, people and creatures--real and imaginary.  

Amongst the standard portraits and still life paintings, the museum had an exhibit on bookplates.  I tend to glaze over paintings, but anything featuring bookmaking/ paper art is totally up my alley.  The illustrations were so tiny, I couldn't get any good photos but they featured the most exquisite, detailed scenes.  My favorites were the ones featuring libraries.  Apparently rich people liked all of their books to show off how many other books they had, so they would commission bookplates to be made featuring idealized images of their huge libraries.  Kind of the Renaissance equivalent of blogging about your new kitchen remodel.  I believe this book belonged to Albrecht Dürer, but I can't exactly remember.  

One of the exhibits was solely dedicated to musical instruments.  There were lots of pianos, LOTS of pianos.  Or at least relatives of the piano.  There apparently was a section of the exhibit where you could hear songs recorded on some of these instruments, but I never found it.  The layout of the museum was a bit confusing.   I did love this one instrument where the keyboard emerged from a ladies' skirt.  Why wouldn't you have have a keyboard hidden in a life-sized statue of a lady? 

Also no surprise, I loved this writing desk.  Can you imagine the letters that were penned there?

In the middle of a room with all these serious statues were a pair of "character heads." Apparently the expression sculpted on this particular bust is impossible for a human to replicate.  Of course I had to try.  

This cabinet was painted in the early 1900's by an art student.  The botanical and insect paintings reminded me of something my mom would love.  Plus even found a snail! (Molly or Anne if you're reading this you'll have to show Tim!)

Lastly, there was an exhibit on toys that featured some AMAZING dollhouses.  My inner child was seriously freaking out.  The rooms were kept fairly dim, so I couldn't get any good photos, but there is this one that shows one of the dollhouses.  You can't see all the little details though, which is the best part. Why do I find such joy out of tiny pots and pans?  

After the museum I walked to a restaurant that my friend Ramona recommended to me.  I hadn't eaten a full meal since arriving, and I'd been surviving mostly on snacks, so I was pretty starving my the time I arrived.  

I'm going to say it was the lack of sleep because somehow when she told me it was a Spanish restaurant I thought I was going to be eating chips and salsa.  It wasn't until the waiter brought out a basket of bread with mayonnaise (???) that I realized she means Spanish as in Spain.  Because you know, I'm in Europe and all.  

I really shouldn't have posted about hoping plan D stuck yesterday, because I've already moved onto plan E, or is it F by now?  But I promise it's even better than what I was thinking.  It involves meeting a wonderful penpal of mine and seeing the beautiful city where she lives.  Nuremberg is a great city, but I've been a bit isolated here and I'm really looking forward to moving onto the next thing.  The next few days will involve lots of travel as I hop from Nuremberg to Bamberg to Berlin, but I can hardly wait!

Plan D

If I will take nothing else from this trip I certainly better learn some flexibility, and fast!

Plan A was to stay with my friend immediately upon arriving in Germany.  She began to have some  serious health problems and it became apparent a few days before I left that it would not be possible for me to stay with her right away.  While I was disappointed, I realize she did not ask me to make other arrangements lightly.  I will still get to meet and visit her, but having my original plan changed so last minute really threw me for a loop.

Plan B was to stay one night in Nuremberg and then travel the next morning to Prague.  I booked my tickets and hostel while still in the US a few days before I left.

Plan C was formed during a panic attack on the plane.  I had access to the internet and found there was a hotel attached to the Frankfurt airport.  I told myself if I couldn't handle any more that I would go directly there and stay until I could figure something out.

Then I went back to plan B.  I thought I would force myself to power through whatever anxiety I was experiencing and make it to Prague.  However on my first night, and what was supposed to by my only night in Nuremberg, plan D came into being.

At 3:00 am while I was sitting in bed shaking from anxiety, I realized there was no way in hell I could force myself to get up in a few hours and travel 4 hours by train with multiple transfers.  Maybe on a good day I could have handled it, but today was not that day.  At 4:00 am I stumbled down to reception and found out that I could stay at my current hostel for 2 additional nights.  While it was definitely not what I was planning to do today, I knew it was the right decision.

I finally managed to fall asleep again at about 4:30 am and slept somewhat soundly for the first time in a week.  Maybe not as soundly as I'm used to, but I'll take it! I awoke feeling a bit off, but mostly alright, and decided to venture out into the Old Town section of Nuremberg.

Nuremberg Old Town

A river cuts Old Town in half

Nuremberg's Old Town is surrounded by a stone wall.  My hostel is located right inside the South wall, and you can see it from my room.  It takes about 20-25 minutes to walk across Old Town and there is a castle located on the other side.  Today I wandered through the streets for a few hours this afternoon and found my way to the castle.

On the way there I munched on a pretzel, wandered into a craft store (who's surprised? No one?) and visited 3 different Cathedrals--all of them spectacular.

St. Lawrence Cathedral

One of the beautiful stained glass windows 

 The castle was pretty neat.  It was built during the middle ages and hosted many Roman Emperors through the years.  I got a bit burnt out part way through the audio tour and unfortunately didn't absorb much, but it has some spectacular views of the city from one of the towers.

Imperial Crown

Climbing the tower

Part of the castle and Old Town

It started to rain on my walk back to the hostel so for the rest of the afternoon I took a nap, watched Buffy The Vampire Slayer and skyped with my mom.  I still feel a bit disoriented, but I definitely think I'm starting to regain my footing.  I've got one more full day in Nuremberg before I take a train to Berlin.  At least, that's the plan for now! We'll see if Plan D is the one that actually sticks.

Food Diplomacy

After almost 24 hours of travel and very little sleep I made it to Europe and to an actual bed that I will actually get to sleep in tonight. Actually,  I can hardly believe it!

My morning started with a panic attack.  And lots of second guessing whether or not I was doing the right thing.  There have been a lot of obstacles, and only a few days ago I had to completely change my plans for my first week in Europe.

After saying goodbye to my Bogie pup, (we're not even going there.  I can't even look at pictures of him at the moment,) my mom and brother drove me to the airport.  I was freaking out and mostly quiet, which freaked my mom out, so it was good to have my brother there.  When my mom and I were once again discussing the pros and cons of my delaying the trip (read: trying to convince ourselves that this wasn't a completely stupid idea for me to go,) my brother replied in his always clear and even tone; "Do you really want your actions to be dictated by what the chemicals in your brain are telling you to do?" But it was much more succinct and wise than that.  I can never fully replicate the way my always-rational brother talks.  He's like a scientific Buddha.

When I arrived at the terminal I was physically shaking.  I'm afraid my goodbye with my family wasn't the best, because I could hardly focus on anything but not letting my legs collapse underneath me.

The plane ride was hellish.  I got maybe 2 hours of sleep, and was so freaked out that I couldn't eat breakfast.  I actually had to pull out the barf bag at one point.  Luckily it didn't get any use.

Once we landed, I managed to withdraw money, get a phone with a local number, and stumble upon the right train accidentally.  But oh! When I turned the corner from the train station and saw the sign for my hostel I could have done cartwheels.  It's really nice, and clean, and just what I needed.  I'll be sad to depart so soon (tomorrow actually!) but for tonight I'm grateful to have a place to sleep that's not a tiny airplane seat or hunched over my backpack on the train.

Things I learned on Day One:

1. Don't panic pack and bring a huge suitcase even though you promised yourself you wouldn't bring one.  Your back will hate you.  
2. Sometimes it's worth paying a little extra to not have to wait for four hours outdoors on the freezing train platform.  
3. Most people are pretty helpful, even if they are a sketchy looking middle aged German man, smoking outside a bar (Sorry mom! I promise I'm safe!)
4. German 99 cent microwave meals are just as crappy as American ones. 
5. Food breaks down language barriers.  If the half German half Turkish man you're eating dinner with offers you olives out of a plastic bag, you accept.  Even if you don't like olives.  
6. You then offer him a chocolate covered strawberry in return.  Food diplomacy at it's finest. 

Keeping a Journal

Those who know me well know I am an avid journaler.  I got serious about keeping one when I traveled to Europe in high school, and since then my journals have evolved and grown into an integral part of my life.

My history with journaling began before I could write.  On family trips my mom would sit down with me and my brother every night and write as we dictated our entries to her.  Obviously the practice stuck with me, as I even made mini journals for my stuffed animals.  

On my trip to Fiji, I kept a journal--for exactly one day.  Granted I was only 8, but when I found the little red and while book years later I knew if I ever traveled again I would write religiously.  While I remember quite a bit from that trip, many of my memories are pieced together from photos and stories my parents have told me.  I know there is so much that has been lost by not writing down my thoughts. 

The only entry I wrote in Fiji

Europe Journal 2008

Months before I left for my Europe trip I was wandering through my local art store and stumbled upon a book about bookbinding.  I flipped through the book, completely absorbed, until my mom pulled me out of there.  For weeks after I had dreams of sipping tea in some hidden restaurant in Paris, the Amelié soundtrack played softly in the background, while I wrote in my well-worn, leather-bound journal.  Not long after, I went back to purchase the book along with all the necessary supplies I would need to make a journal of my very own.

I had no idea what I was doing, but somehow I managed to make a book that stayed together.  It was massive, but I carried it everywhere during my 3 week long trip.  I collected stamps, stickers, tickets, and brochures, and filled my pages with doodles and maps of the places we stayed.

Journal Spread Paris 2008

My journal from Europe 2008 was Journal #3, and I just finished assembling Journal #12- Europe and Africa 2014.  I'll post pictures of my latest journal in a separate post, as I'm really pleased with how it turned out.   I can't wait until it's completely full and brimming with memories from my next adventure!

Journaling must be in my blood, because my mom kept a journal when she went to France in high school.  Can you believe she only took $130 with her for a full week in Paris?

The Path to Morocco- Part 1

The short story is that my European trip just became an international one.

The long story is that a while ago I realized that I was having some reservations about my trip.  I have always been excited about the opportunity to travel for such an extended period of time, but I realized that something was holding me back.  There are places I'm dying to visit, and monuments I'd love to see, but I never really wanted to spend almost 4 months simply sightseeing.

About a month ago I was rushing off to my nannying job and realized I didn't have anything to read at the doctor's appointment I was taking the kids to, so I grabbed a book off my shelf.  The Art of Pilgrimage: A Seeker's Guide to Making Travel Sacred.  The book is basically what you'd expect.  Lots of Rumi quotes with a dash of Buddhist philosophy on top--complete with generously applied underlining and exclamation points in the margins in bright red pen from the previous owner.   While it was a bit excessive at times, when I reached the chapter titled "The Call of Destiny" (I know, I know, I rolled my eyes too), I couldn't put the book down.

During my car ride home, the best place for thinking second only to a hot shower, my mind was buzzing.  The chapter focused on discovering what your true passion or purpose is, and making your travels focused on that.  I am passionate about animals and art and psychology and a million other things, but what I kept coming back to is the work I've done with children and adolescents.

I thought about the girl I mentor who is in every way like a true little sister to me.  How she bought me a Doctor Who necklace with her carefully saved money because she thought of me when she was at the mall.  How she shyly and proudly presented it to me as soon as I picked her up the next day.

I thought about the kids I nanny and how--without even realizing it-- my job went from a way to save up to my trip to an integral part of my life.  How that afternoon the 12-year-old had followed me around the living room, resting her head on the arm of the couch where I was sitting.

I thought about the girl my mom and I sponsor who lives in Kenya.   How she wrote a letter saying she was proud she had a sponsor so she could continue her education.

I thought of the girls who were adopted from foster care who received dolls I made as a Christmas gift this year.  How they drew me pictures and wrote how they tell their dolls their worries every night before bed.

And I realized this is it.  This is why I exist.  This is why I survived all the struggles I went through in high school, even though I didn't realize it at the time.

I dedicate my free time to volunteering and helping at-risk children.  My major and future career path are structured around giving back and helping kids who need it most.  Why not make my trip about that too?