Guten Abend from Berlin

We made it!
Thanks to everyone for the good wishes, and special thanks to those closest to me for giving me faith I would survive the flights;I never thought I would step on a small plane again, but 1.5 z.b.'s and a screwdriver later, I was in a strange dream like state, still scared, yet hearing my mommy's voice in my head..."there's no way you're not coming home to me."

As for the international flight...I was calmer, but maybe that's because I was distracted by the fact that we got on first class. We're talking mimosas, great wine, moroccan crab salad, asparagus soup, fruit and cheese, parmesan crusted mahi mahi, being woken up to hot towels and omelettes with more fruit and potatoes, free movies to choose from- HBO and Flight of the Conchords included...everything free of charge. Who ever thought flying standby could be such a fantastic idea- cheap flights AND we get first class? Oh yeeeah. But needless to say, because of my fear, I was still much more grateful to land alive in beautiful Berlin than to get first class. [Not that I would complain if we ever graced those territories again.]

When we were landing and I watched the familiar German countryside grow closer and closer, I experienced an excitement I haven't felt for years...maybe stemming from childhood memories of driving through the lush green fields and spectacular forests of Germany, imagination soaring.

The weather was and is perfect here...not sticky and humid like in Texas, but clear, fresh, and cool. Jet lag didn't hinder us from starting our trek right away- although I realized quickly that I should have tested my backpack a little better, it's FAR too heavy, and as of now, at the end of our long day, I literally have indentations and bruises from where the straps were. Gotta learn the hard way...

We had a little trouble orienting ourselves with the town, especially the public transportation systems. The bus was harder to find than it should have been, but we had to get beyond our initial state of overwhelming anxiousness and realize all it took was a little common sense. This city is captivating...at first glance it seems so much like any other city, and than you get into its depths and discover the hidden treasures. We are trying hard to save Euros where we can, and didn't get lazy and bus/taxi it the whole time- we did a lot of walking, especially around the city centre. The gem of the centre is the Tiergarten, where the never ending foliage is embellished with an abundance of nude sunbathers. (I knew right away I would adore this town, ha!) We got a little turned around in the circular intersection- ok, maybe lost...but only for a little while- so we sat down and people watched, bathing in the essence of the city and eating the PB&J's we took packed with us to take overseas (more $ saved. be proud!) Considering Berlin's "city" classification, it has retained more trees, plants, gardens, cleanliness, and GREEN everywhere than any city I have seen, even Austin....which is so refreshing. Even more refreshing is how much the people that live here enjoy the city's bounties- they all enjoy it to the fullest, lying in the grass in the parks, or anywhere at all, reading or just savoring the weather and good company. People bike EVERYWHERE....you even see men and women dressed for work on bikes, on their daily route to their jobs. Their pure pleasure in being a part of Berlin put an inexplicable happiness in my heart, and I felt at home- regardless of the sometimes unfriendly locals (you have that everywhere, but most of them were pleasant.)

We walked to the Bauhaus, which was top priority on our list- and I wasn't disappointed at all. The simplicity of the principles taught there, art made there, and architecture is stunningly beautiful and balanced- and the balance stirs something in my bones, something I'm longing for. We also checked out the Reichstag, which you'll see in one of the pictures- this whole entire building was wrapped by two of my favorite landwork artists, Jeanne- Claude and Christo. I'll post a picture of that later, and explain more also..I'm short on time tonight, it's much later than 7 pm here (Austin time) and my body is aching for sleep.
On that note, one reason this is so, other than the obvious (jet lag+backpacking all day) is the fact that me and Kellen decided to take Sammy's advice and check out the Berliner Dom, which is the oldest and most exquisitely ornate cathedral/church in Berlin- also in pictures. By "check it out," I mean- climb the hundreds of old stairs to the very top of the huge Dome, where the view of Berlin stole our breath. We adventured up at least 15 flights of stairs, some larger and older than others, (me carrying at least 50 pounds of weight) finding hidden nooks to revel in along the way. It was ridiculously exhausting but completely worth it. And the shower I took tonight? The best one of my life.

Our night ended with a trip to the market with our awesome German friend Hendrich, who was so kind to put us up for the night; followed by a mindblowing first true meal in Europe that me and Kellen threw together in return for Hendrich's kindness: salad with tomatoes, red peppers, bean sprouts, and fresh, real gorgonzola cheese (melt in your hands& mouth)/pasta with homemade sauce, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, more peppers, and some of my asparagus sauce/grilled asparagus with secret sauce ("it's semen. animal semen.")and more gorgonzola/ a delicious German wine that fit the meal perfectly. It was so wonderful sharing a fresh meal together in Hendrich's cozy high rise condo style apartment, balcony door open to allow the cool air in, us laughing over German/American stereotypes for each other...just being able to enjoy the company of new friends that are welcoming and accepting, and can share one another's culture and small pieces of each other's lives.

Need to rest now, have to be up early to catch a train to my family's house- I absolutely can't wait to see them and experience the countryside again! I have been wanting to go back since the day I left, back in my 5th grade era. I think I left little piece of my soul in the thick, rich forests...and I intend to leave another this time around, perhaps a larger one this time. I miss and love you all so, so much and wish you could all be here to be apart of this with me- but I promise you are with me in spirit, and vice versa. I'll be able to make calls soon, but the time change is weird, so beware calls in the middle of the night. Ich liebe dich!!!