Why would anyone want to pick, somewhat randomly, to live and work somewhere else for a month? Why would I?
This year we chose to rent an apartment in Berlin, Germany for four weeks. I had heard of the city's reputation for the arts, for being edgy. I didn't do any research into that or plan the trip. It was a feeling I had about Berlin based on random information collected in my head over the years. Rich found a flat and flights and we booked. I didn't even really read the tour guides ahead of time - some flipping through pictures and reading captions.
For me it's about the thrilling stimulation of an entirely new environment. The language barrier adds a distinctly challenging component. I'm thrown really far out of my comfort zone. Travel is fun, but it is also exhausting, uncomfortable, and full of learning and discovering through misadventure. When one travels, one doesn't expect to be happy every minute - even if it was a vacation. But it's not a vacation.
The first week is about orientation and finding a rhythm. How do we buy food? Where is the public transportation and how does it connect us? What kind of workday routine can I establish? What are the topmost important things I want do while I am here?
Our first day we walked ten miles. We walked to the big train station to buy our transit passes and we cruised that part of the city. It was drizzling intermittently and very cold. We took respite at a cafe for a cup of warming coffee and watched street performers and crowds of shoppers milling about.
If in the first week everything felt slightly hostile - Who would be on the street when I walked out the door? Which direction should I walk in? Was that group of men menacing or socializing? - in the second week I had more confidence.
All of the essentials were accounted for and my neighborhood looked familiar to me. My brother and his partner came to visit and rented their own flat. We had dinner at their place. We wandered and did some sightseeing together. My work routine was comfortable and afternoons were free for play with few work obligations in the evenings.
The third week was the sweet spot! I know my way around now. We have already explored, mostly on foot, many of the neighborhoods, which means the streets and buildings give me an orientation to the public transport and which direction is home. English is very common and making a purchase or buying a meal is no big deal. I have been really relaxed!
We've done almost every important sightseeing item on our list. And we have connected with people. We met my colleague's son who lives and works here with his family. We even lunched with our landlords from our first extended trip in Prague in 2008! They live here in a beautiful neighborhood, and are married with two small children.
As we look toward our last week here in Berlin it feels strange to think about the transition back to Florida. What can we do to make our last days here memorable? What will we take away from the Berlin experience?
I know that when we walk through our front door we will be back home. We will wake up the next day and it will almost feel like we never left (sans the unpacking). But we have changed. I have changed.
Working during my stay changes the way I think about my work. It helps me step back and review it with fresh eyes. Getting to break up my day and play in a new city for a few hours every day pushes me to re-think how I live when I'm not traveling. Generally, those are not comfortable, cozy thoughts.
But balance them against the delight of the German, dark, brown bread that weighs as much as brick and is delicious with honey on top; thick, rich coffee served with a cookie; creative and complex street art in every neighborhood; and getting to see 1980s-style punk rockers at a massive street party in Kreuzberg - that slight discomfort becomes a welcome part of the travel experience.
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