On der Brandenburger Tor ( the Brandenburg Gate)

2 years ago in the month of March I went on a trip with my German 361 class to Berlin, Germany. Long story short, it ruled. I love that city just a hair less than my beloved Chicago, and am yearning to return this spring while I'm studying in Bonn, Germany. I'd like to share one particular memory that I've been thinking a lot about lately and how much I really enjoyed it.

This memory popped into my head when I downloaded the latest version of Google Earth and made it my priority to first scope out Berlin.

During the afternoon/evening of the first Sunday I was in Berlin, my group decided to all go to the area around the western end of the Tiergarten where the Reichstag (German parliament building), der Brandenburger Tor and the Holocaust Memorial lie, which is just a hop and a skip away from the rebuilt and beautiful Potsdamer Platz.

The Reichstag ruled and the Holocaust memorial gave me goosebumps, as did the stone line drawn in the street where the Berlin Wall used to be.

There is one part of this visit however that one might regard as pretty insignificant but had so much meaning to me, which I am still sort of uncertain as to why it did.

While crossing through the Gate, walking along the open space, gazing at the interesting architecture being raised, and of all things going into a crowded Starbucks 100 yards or so west of the Gate prompted a feeling of, slight bliss. Perhaps it was the fact that Berlin history since the building of the Berlin Wall was presenting itself before my eyes. Perhaps it was enjoying a well-brewed cappuccino in the comfortable warmth of the brand new Starbucks (Starbucks? Seriously? Ugh, and I'm usually the type to avoid Starbucks), or enoying that same cup walking on the crunchy snow and enjoying the crisp, early evening air. Perhaps it was the fact that the sky looked utterly marvelous as a sunset with warm hues flowing around the dramatic clouds and giving everything on the ground a more dramatic, contrasty appearance.

It was these feelings that just made the mood of the evening feel so great. By the way, as I type this I am listening to Royksopp - Melody A.M., great music to write to, especially since it has a little euro flavor to it.

Another interesting detail of this fine evening I remember was a young couple, probably my age or a tad older, who seemed to be deeply in love, was sitting near me and my adventure comrades. My professor, one of the friendliest dudes to walk the planet, engaged in small talk with them because he was sitting next to them. They briefly broke eye contact with one another and talked with him about Berlin, the fact that the guy was from Australia and the girl was from, I believe America (probably students studying abroad), or maybe the other way around, and that they would be departing one another soon.

I saw how into one another they were, and felt a little jealous. Ich war gruen vor neid. Seriously, that's so romantic; coming from lands so far away from each other and really taking a shine to someone, and then having to leave them to go back to where they hail from. It's one of those things that is portrayed so well in some sort of sappy, romantic chick-flick (I'm a big fan of chick flicks, by the way). The whole idea of being together and having something great, in a city that is so unbelievably marvelous, and then departing one another is something I regard as bittersweet. Bollocks to the longing after such a situation, what they had was something to look back on and truly cherish and be content about.

Normally after thinking about this I would turn off the music I'm currently listening to and turn on either Pornography or Disintegration by the Cure, but I think instead I'll listen to more upbeat music and have a more positive outlook about what the future holds for my love life. Could I be in such a situation in the future? Who knows, it's not something I should seek or count on, but rather allow to happen. Does that mean I'll still daydream about it? Certainly. But what's life without daydreaming?

I encourage whoever reads this to comment, as well on all of my future posts.

What do I plan on writing about next? My experience in Dresden, my views on smoking, more of my views on love, my recollections of any significant experience in my life, etc, etc, etc.