It was just about nine months ago that I arrived in Berlin, after a good two decades of living outside - and far away! - from Germany, whose passport I carry. Though I've always known that I wanted to live elsewhere in the world, I have been looking back at this country with a bit of curiosity. What would it be like to live in Germany again? I kept wondering, and this year I actually got to experience it, due to a weird bureaucratic challenge I needed to undertake. In the end, this paperwork issue, which has more to do with the US government than the German one, did not work out at all. However, it did provide me with an amazing year in the country of my citizenship, specifically in its funky capital of Berlin.
When I landed at the BER airport in March, it struck me how dark it was already, even though it was only mid afternoon. The snowy rain falling out of the thick cloud cover didn't help much in raising my hopes to see Spring any time soon, and my friend who picked me up at the airport only reemphasized the state of things: His whole family was falling from one snotty-nosed episode into the next, and the lettering on their fridge pinpointed their only hope, stating: "It is always Summer somewhere."
Sure enough, they were just about to go on vacations to South Africa, and while they were gone I had the privilege of house-sitting their apartment for them. From those windows I could observe how the snow-blown streets of Prenzlauer Berg became gradually sunnier, until all the trees in town were bathed in colorful petals, and I found myself going on long bike-rides in the warming weather.
By the time I moved out into the place I found for rent, the cold season had become a fading memory, being replaced by realistic prospects of Summer... until one day we suddenly found ourselves in midst of the first heat wave. Looking back at it right now over my frost covered balcony, it feels weird and surreal. As if it had been centuries ago, somewhere on the far side of this world. In fact, even in mid September it seemed like Summer was never going to end... until it did with a bitter abruptness, that barely gave the trees a chance to shed their leaves properly.
The kind of things that made me worry at first, such as finding a place to live, and some work so I could pay for said place, happened to work out amazingly well. The house where I ended up renting a room, I got to share with a wonderful couple, and we managed to maintain a well working community until the end. As for work, not only did I find a job only a ten-minute walk from the house, but it turned out to be a really great place, with awesome colleagues, working on things I genuinely enjoy. Even the pay was okay, in spite of the limited hours occasionally. But all in all, for these few months I couldn't think of a more ideal setting.
As for my social needs, I can honestly say I got way more than I could have ever asked for! I met some incredible people, who I established genuine and lasting friendships with. My house mates were just one example. Others I met were friends of friends, or my sister's, who happened to spend her Summer in nearby Potsdam, or also actual real Hiveans I got to meet face to face. Yes, apparently there are some real people on this blockchain, after all. I got the proof! At the zenith of my year here, I even got some visitors, namely my wife in niece from Mexico, and two friends who came over from Hungary.
Looking back at so many nice memories, it makes me feel a bit nostalgic to be writing this last post from Berlin. However, I don't need many reminders that it's really time to leave this place behind. A look at the ice and snow outside is enough, and in case I still have doubts, the modest indoor temperature - due to a broken heating system - should do the rest.
My flight is booked for Wednesday morning, and until then I am making my rounds in saying my goodbyes and getting all my last things squared away before leaving. One such major landmark event was helping my friend move to Sweden two weeks ago - the same guy who picked me up at the airport in March. Just as they were looking forward to going to South Africa, they were ecstatic about relocating to Sweden. Since our paths intersected at the beginning as well as at the end of my stay, now that they are gone makes me feel even more ready to leave myself.
I know, this nostalgia of the end times is hardly ever productive. In a way it's a melancholy kind of enjoying the end of something, which granted, I have posted about already. Though as we all know, every new beginning is some other new beginning's end (thanks Green Day). In other words, there will be more exciting projects to work on, more wonderful people to meet, in fact, more opportunities to see previously met friends again. And yes: there will be also a new Spring coming my way soon. Most likely, when I step out of the airplane in Mexico City. (Today's temperature there is 22°C.)
