The Great Outdoors

My journey to this quiet river in east Berlin was shockingly treacherous. A group of us set out to have dinner on the water at Spree Arche so we met up around 5 in the evening. I realized quickly that I underestimated three very important factors: the distance of the restaurant from home, how tired my feet were, and just how hungry I really was. We took two trams, a train, went under a bridge, and hiked through the woods to get to the restaurant’s dock. We were supposed to catch a boat over to the mügglesee where the restaurant was located. Unbeknownst to the group the restaurant was closed. It was just our luck. After hours of trying to get to the restaurant, being near the water brought a welcome serenity and calmness to an otherwise chaotic day. Although my feet were beyond tired the trek was worth the spectacular views.

After meeting Bloomberg editor David Rocks and visiting Reichstag there was free time to roam and explore the city. I found my way to the Berliner Dom and it was captivating but, what really caught my attention was the people. Just outside of the Dom I spotted the sweetest looking couple. Their body language reveals such a warmth and tenderness between them. The man is resting so peacefully and even in his sleep she doted on him. Nothing says love like the admiration of your mate in their moments of pure vulnerability, when they are uncontrollably their true selves.

Home sweet home. Sometimes I catch myself saying things like “I have to go home and change” or “I left my glasses at home”. It’s funny to me that In such a short amount of time, I feel like I’ve made a home here in Berlin. Now I can effortlessly find my way to Immanuelkirchstrasse, the street that leads me home. Every day I get a little bit better with directions and learn a little bit more German. I honestly didn’t expect to love the city and culture as much as I do. I’ve grown to love the long days where the sun rises at 5:00 a.m. and sets at 9:30 p.m. It will truly be a hard goodbye when my time here is up.