When I reached Berlin I breathed a sigh of relief, I’d be in the same city, staying with family, for a whole week. No moving around, no racing to catch a bus, no transferring accommodations, no locking my belongings in a locker, no shower shoes. I’d be staying with my grandmother’s half-brother’s granddaughter, Eileen. Her smiling face was there to greet me upon arrival even though my bus ran an hour late.

Eileen is the definition of a #gogettergal! She traveled to the US when she was only 18, living long-term with a family in California as an au pair, and perfecting her English (honestly she could fool you into thinking it was her first language). Now fluent in not two, but three languages, she’s taking on a rigorous course of study with a dual degree program in Berlin. As business students, we had lots in common and even found ourselves swaping resume tips over dinner one evening (not sure whether that makes me want to laugh or cry).

 

Eileen welcomed me into her home having only met me once before. She visited my family in San Diego over four years ago on the same day as my senior prom. Being the self-absorbed high schooler I surely was, she came along with me to get my nails done and to pre-prom photos at the Four Seasons with a hundred of my closest friends and their shutter happy parents. It’s a maricle she ever agreed to letting me stay with her during this trip.

On top of picking me up and insisting on helping me carry my stuffed backpack, she had a complete packet printed out for me of all the top sights I should see in Berlin, as well as a metro card covering all the transportation I’d need during my visit. Back at her adorable flat she made me dinner and we talked late into the night. I was in heaven.

The next morning I woke up feeling so relaxed. After sleeping in, I found a smoothie and coffee waiting for me in the kitchen (Eileen!). I lounged around the house, wrote, planned my day, tried to clear a little space on my phone for more photos.

I finally got my butt into gear to venture into the city before meeting Eileen to go “babysit.” I say that in quotes because her mother, who I had never met, messaged me the night before letting me in on the secret that what Eileen thought would be a night of watching children was actually a surprise party. I felt so honored to be included in this surprise. That evening Eileen was thoroughly shocked by her friends and family and I felt really cool for having been let in on the secret. We spent the night dining and drinking cocktails under the stars with her girlfriends. Everyone made such an effort to include me even though we  had never met before and I didn’t speak German. Luckily I’ve found major topics at girl’s nights to be fairly universal.

The rest of my week was scattered with gatherings of Eileen’s family and friends. Casual get togethers in charming backyard settings. Seeing the trendy apartments of these urban families was exciting. I loved how even for apartment buildings there were ample grass areas- shared backyards and nearby garden spaces everywhere. Interacting with children who don’t speak the same language as me was funny, but between my funny faces and their expressive body language we communicated just fine.  One evening we had dinner overlooking a lake at sunset with Eileen’s wonderful parents. Later in the week I met my great half-uncle, Jurgen. My parents have always spoken so highly of their stays with him; meeting him in person put life to all the stories they had told me. His home was full of momentos from his travels, including a series of portraits of people he had seen along his way. These times getting to know my family were definitely the highlights of my trip to Berlin.

I did see some of the more traditional tourist sights as well. You can’t walk anywhere in Berlin without seeing the constant reminders of the country’s history. Brandenburg Gate, Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Tiergarten, The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the Topography of Terror, Checkpoint Charlie, Potsdamer Platz, Mauerpark, the Berlin Wall. I experienced an aerial view of the entire city when Elieen surprised me with a ride in the Die Welt (The World) balloon. This attached balloon hovered over city center giving me the perfect overview of Berlin.

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Inspired by the many WWII monuments I decided to join a tour to the nearby Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. This was the most powerful thing I’ve experienced on this trip. To walk on the ground where these horrors took place, to see the living conditions and hear of the medical experimentation performed on prisoners. And to think the war ended in 1945, only a mere 71 years ago. It blows my mind to think what recent history this is. Germany is doing an excellent job of making sure this history is not forgotten, that people are educated in what took place and that history will not repeat itself. Spreading this knowledge is the best way to encourage tolerance and spread peace for the future.

Visiting Potsdam was a much more uplifting experience. I enjoyed seeing the elegance and grandeur of Sanssouci, Schloss Cecilienhof (where the Potsdam Conference took place), the expansive gardens and charming town. We even had the luck of witnessing a Diner en Blanc gathering where the Potsdam community all dressed in white and brought out tables and picnic dinners to dine together in the street.

I also loved the Sunday market in Mauerpark. It made me wish I had a big empty suitcase to fill with all the treasures I wanted to buy! Vintage breadbox- yes, clearly a necessity! A group gathered for karaoke, a live band backing the brave singer. I strolled along one of the longest remaining pieces of the Berlin Wall watching the artists at work. Children swung on swings that had been placed near the length of the wall. People of all ages sat in the sun, casually relaxing next to this wall that had once been a symbol of fear and separation.