Good evening, y’all, I am safe and sound in Germany, and this is my last day in Berlin. While I arrived fully intact with nothing missing, I can’t say that my experiences at the airport and on the flight were exactly smooth sailing. Checking my luggage and going through security were honestly not as nerve-wracking as I expected. My checked luggage was underweight, so checking it in and making my way through security went on without a hitch. When I made it to my gate, I actually met up with a few other Temple students who were on the same flight as me, so we hung out for a few hours. The first challenge arose when I was boarding- all the carry-on items for people in economy had to be checked, because there wasn’t enough overhead space on the plane. I was rather upset, as my carry-on had all my stuff for Berlin in it, and if it got lost, I would have been left out to dry. Nevertheless, I did not argue and let them take my suitcase; thankfully, I had the foresight to pack essentials, such as my passport and snacks in my backpack, so I didn’t have to hurriedly cram stuff from my carry-on into my backpack right before boarding. I made my way onto the plane and settled myself in when the next situation hit. After boarding was finished, we got a message from our pilot that our flight was delayed due to air traffic and we would have to sit and wait on a completely still plane for an hour. It was good that I had downloaded a few books on my phone, so I didn’t go stir crazy during the wait.
Finally, the plane took off and we were in the air when situations number three and four hit. The woman sitting in the aisle across from me started having a medical emergency (I didn’t exactly know what was going on, but she at least looked a little better by the end of the flight). Lastly, I found out that I am unable to sleep on planes, which wouldn’t have been a problem if this weren’t an 8-hour overnight flight. I somehow managed to push through by popping in my earbuds and listening to calming music the whole flight and landed in Berlin with my sanity intact. From there on, I had no issues, aside from a moody immigration officer and a communication breakdown over how to activate my SIM card (pro tip: if you buy a SIM card at the airport, make sure it works before you leave the airport, and do NOT rush the process). After a long journey, I finally met up with my program director, Dr. Andrea Schmidt, as well as the other students in my program who had arrived earlier.
So, what are my thoughts on Berlin? First, for the love of all that is holy, bring sneakers or other shoes that are comfortable to walk in! The public transportation in Berlin was very good and comprehensive (for the few days I was here), but chances are, you will be walking most places. Quite honestly, I think that walking around is the best way to experience the city. I loved being able to see all the beautiful historic buildings juxtaposed with modern office & government buildings and seeing all these interesting businesses and attractions without having to plan beforehand was an unexpected treat. Something that was a rather pleasant surprise for me was the fact that I had not had any knee pain flare-ups during my stay, despite the fact that I walked between 7-8 miles every day I was there. I had thought that because of the prevalence of unpaved cobblestone streets I would have a worse time walking around here than I would stateside, but they are in no more pain after a few days of intense walking than they would be if I did this much walking in Philly or Manhattan. Obviously, I’m not the authority on mobility issues or chronic pain (if you use mobility aids such as a cane or wheelchair, then the cobblestone streets would pose more of an issue), but if you do have similar issues to me, don’t be automatically put out or discouraged by the amount of walking that will probably be required. Preparation is key!
My second hot tip for surviving Berlin is to manage your hydration! Even though Berlin doesn’t get as hot as Munich and other cities in Southern Germany, it does get rather hot in the summer, even in May and June, especially since we don’t get a lot of wind here. I cannot stress this enough, but most German buildings do not have central air, and our hostel room didn’t even have a fan. So, make sure to bring plenty of water and maybe a personal fan on excursions, or even when just exploring the city, particularly if you are sensitive to the heat or get dehydrated easily.
My final tip is to enjoy yourself! Dr. Schmidt and the other program directors really outdid themselves with planning the different activities that we did as a group- my personal favorite was the guided tour of Berlin through the lens of Cold War history. I am not a big history buff, but our tour guide (shout out to Finn Ballard) offered a very nuanced and contextualized take on the history of the DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik, AKA East Germany) and Cold-War era Berlin. And if you aren’t a big fan of large group activities, that’s okay too! There is plenty of time built into the schedule for personal activities, so if you want to hit up a beer garden with a few friends or attend a local flea market on your lonesome, you will have plenty of time to do so!
That’s all from me for now, I’ll see y’all in Leipzig! Learn more about studying abroad during the summer!