After a year and a half, I return to the place I originally studied abroad. Even as I entered Sudbahnhof (before Hauptbahnhof/Central station) I started getting giddy because I could see the sign for the gym I used to frequent (McFit, reppin'!) next to a big Ikea sign. Just grins all the way to Hauptbahnhof and all the way to Friedrichstrasse, where I met up with Caitlin (lady from program!). After hugs, we went to the hookah bar (Kleopatra) we used to frequent and met up with another program lady. Re-reunions all around.
The next day I took a walk/bahn ride of memories. I started off at Potsdamer Platz and walked a lot. A whole lot. From there, to Unter den Linden, through the Judische Denkmal (Monument for Murdered Jews - still as eerie as the first time I walked through it), and down the line where the wall used to be (obviously not the whole line, that's an entire day of walking!) until I found the other main street again, Friedrichstrasse.You know what intersects that street? Johanesstrasse.. which is where my school is. Unfortunately, the semester ended last week and none of the teachers were around for me to harass besides the administrative staff. Who sort of remembered me. Having short hair did not help them remember me.
After that, I wandered a bit (Wanderlust, Fremdweh) and eventually took the Bahn over to Alexanderplatz to walk around, yet some more. There was some sort of festival going on with people doing stunts and so on so I watched that go on for a bittybit until it was time to go to my old Bezirk/district of Tempelhof. I wandered around the airport with Daryl for a long time (because I forgot how big that place really is) and then walked down to my host mother's old house on Eschwegerig. I see a new family with a baby moved it, so I didn't want to snap a quick photo of it, but damn, did I love my room there.. and of course to the Aldi down the street.
I met up with Caitlin again after that (she has Praktikum 9-5, I am on lockout once I leave the Studentenwohnheim) for her friend's birthday at a jazz club - something I usually don't do, but okay. And I see someone from a different program I was part of 4 years ago in Munchen. Small world, indeed.
Yesterday, I took a another memory lanes walk to Hermannstrasse 18. Unless you were in the IES program, you wouldn't understand why that's important or awesome. Lots memories and parties and forgotten memories and stuff. What an excellent apartment that was. It is being rented out. Darn. Also, I managed to forget how easy it is to get lost due to the streets changing names randomly! But I somehow walked to the Turkischer Markt (one of the top things I did when I lived in Berlin) and bought fruits and fruits and yums before my trip to Sachsenhausen to see one of the biggest former concentration camps. Me being stupid, couldn't FIND the camp at first, even though it's right the train station (down a really narrow road) so I walked to some outskits somewhere.. So my time at the camp was shortened because I didn't know the times the trains left etc, etc. But it's eerie being there - silence, lots of empty space, clouds. Set the mood good. Getting back took a long time, but it was birthday number two time so we did that. Got ID'd for the first time since I got to Europe for buying booze. Neat.
Today I plan on being lazy and doing almost nothing. Peace. Tomorrow, to Copenhagen!
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