OH, BERLIN

Berlin is beautiful and awful. That's what I think. I guess. Somehow good and bad at the same time. But as with so many things, it depends on what I make of it.

I walk down the street that makes Berlin more beautiful in no time. At least, that's what I think. I think. But maybe not. Straight ahead, I follow a line, so to speak—in Linienstraße. How fitting. I think. Somewhere in the middle of Berlin. I walk on, past the place of silence. What do I mean by that? Those who have walked here know what I mean. Those who haven't been here won't know.

At Rosenthaler Platz

Quick, the silence is about to end, because I'm walking straight into the hustle and bustle. At Rosenthaler Platz, I sit down in front of the Späti. The Späti brings people together, because this is where communication and exchange usually take place in the evening. People from different countries sit together and diverse cultures meet. Multicultural! I like that. It's good the way it is. I think so. I think. It's hip and chic here, but somehow also grungy and unique at the same time. I keep walking, straight ahead. Past the many shops, the beautiful old buildings. People stream towards me.

Just know how...

Berlin is beautiful and awful. That's what I think. I guess. Somehow good and bad at the same time. But as with so many things, it depends on what I make of it. When I'm here, I sometimes want to get out of the city. And when I'm away, I want to be back there. A dilemma. That's what I think. I think. Berlin is big, and sometimes it seems even bigger to me. Sometimes it overwhelms me, and every now and then, starting out here feels lonely. But I'm not alone in that. Lonely together, a kind of togetherness of many kinds. Whether as friendship or a date, whether as a relationship or a one-night stand. Berlin is simple and difficult, but above all, it's freedom—that's why I came here. In Berlin, I can be anything, I just have to figure out how. I just have to dare to settle in, and then, at least according to rumor, what comes next is a dream. I like to dream in reality. So Berlin is perfect after all. I think. I believe.

Everything is a little different here

At the same time, Berlin is just a city. Filled with millions of souls trying to live together. Tolerant and ignorant. Open and closed. So many people moving quickly and slowly. Some are stressed, others are the epitome of calm. Some pale, others full of life. At night, a loud rumble flows out of the clubs and the city becomes a temporary frenzy. Until everyday life begins again, which is somehow different here than anywhere else. I think. I think. Everything is a little different here. But it is what it is, and as with so many things, that can be good or bad. As I said, it depends on what I make of it. The city often makes me think and ask myself who I really am. I know, and at the same time I don't. And sometimes I ask myself: Who are you?

Also available on the blog of the "Creative Writing & Copywriting" at SRH University.