I think one of the memories that sticks out in my mind the most when I look back on this week is our first day here. The weather was great, we were all jet-lagged but ready to go, and there was an entire city out there for us to explore. We dropped our bags off in a room at St. Michael’s-Heim, and then ventured off to the downtown. We arrived at Kurfürstendamm, which as far as I can tell is to Berlin as Michigan Avenue is to Chicago. We grabbed lunch, then began heading east, towards the KDW, a huge department store with an upper floor selling food from all over the world. On our way there, we passed Kaiser Wilhelm Church,
a decently sized building that had sustained damage from bombs during the war, but has since become a memorial to Berlin’s past.
I think that day gave me a pretty fair first impression of Berlin, even through the jet lag. In America, when we call a building “old”, we’re probably talking about a structure from the early 1900s, maybe even mid-1800s. In Europe, if someone calls a building “old”, there’s a decent chance it was built by the Romans. Germany seems to capture the blend of new and old, sporting both modern urban structures, and medieval castles, as well as everything in between. There are gothic and medieval churches sandwiched between the glass and steel buildings of modern design; relics of ancient times long since past sharing the same plot of land as monuments to events that our grandparents forged and our parents remember.
Later on in that same first day, Adam and I went to get gelato, and on our way back found ourselves at Checkpoint Charlie. It is no exaggeration that one has only to get lost in order to find something of historical significance.
I must say though that for all its wonders and marvels, the city of Berlin has yet to provide me with a proper burrito. I can give that a pass, however, as the capital of Germany has provided me with many other culinary discoveries. For example, the döner is something that one can only show, not tell (I have tried and failed on multiple occasions, but imagine a pita filled with rotisserie kebab meat and various vegetables and sauces that combine into a delicious ensemble of awesome).
Along with the miracle of the döner, I think America could do well with the streamlined public transit system that Germany has. While not perfect, the heavily integrated system of busses, trams, and trains makes getting from one place to another incredibly easy and efficient for a city-dwelling college student such as myself. Also, the rapid turnover of red lights and green lights at each intersection seems to make the flow of traffic much quicker.
While it’s only been a short while, I feel pretty used to life in Germany. Public transit is a piece of cake, and Google Maps has shifted from my lifeline to an occasional tool. I know where to get cheap food at given times of day, and how to get there. People are less frequently asking me “Would you like to speak English?” as soon as I try speaking German. I’m feeling quite at home, and yet everyday there’s something new that I didn’t expect or know about. Perhaps the best part though is honestly the team of fellow students that together began this adventure. As I write this, I’m sitting on the floor of the hallway where our bedrooms are, and alongside me are three of many people who I can easily now call my friends. I’ve learned a lot about many of my fellow engineering students here, and look forward to getting to know each of them better in the weeks to come.