This trip to Germany didn’t feel real to me until I arrived at the airport on Sunday evening. It didn’t feel real until I saw my friends, Sara and Emily, surrounded by their luggage trying to get organized. When my friends, absolutely beaming, yelled, “We’re going to Germany!!” Every single step of the way to Berlin I thought, “We’re doing this.”
Now, it wasn’t a totally flawless journey in. Flights were delayed, which lead to connecting flights being missed, which lead to the question of where my luggage might end up (spoiler: on the same plane I was. Delta and KLM had it Handled). The nervous chaos of trying to navigate the train. Bodies absolutely aching as we crept towards being awake for almost 30 hours of traveling.
It was a long day and a long way to get to Berlin. But I can already, in the less than 12 hours I’ve been in the actual city, tell you that it was worth it. The memories of running through the airport, making faces at a baby, yelling a little too loud about movies, and just getting to see my friends awed, exhausted, and excited as we made it into the city are worth it. We explored, found food (Sushi was our first meal in Germany because why not.) and joined some of the other travelers on a walk over to Humboldt Forum.
There’s something really special about viewing a city from above. Flying in is one thing, but standing on a roof by a beautiful dome, and looking over the city we get to explore for the next 10 days? Absolutely breathtaking. The country is spread out before us, and I can’t wait to see what it reveals.