A second chance for a first impression...

If anyone knows the importance of a second chance, it’s this girl. Second chances at a love, at experiences…at living. Now, had you asked me two years ago to give Berlin a second chance, I probably would have said “naaaaah…been there, done that, not impressed.” The truth is, I didn’t really “feel” Berlin when I visited it seven years ago. It was cold, rainy and not really my scene. But, in honor of my new outlook on life…what the heck, give it a whirl, right?

Of course, what made it easier this second time around was a knowledgeable tour guide—my friend, Jason, who knows a lot about Berlin, having lived just an hour away from it for the past five years. You know what, Berlin ain’t too bad (sorry for the grammar, dad)! Actually, I liked it a lot.

It started with the promise of a currywurst and a dream. OK, so it wasn’t that dramatic, but I did hear these whispers of currywurst at our first dinner Friday night. J

I spent Saturday morning exploring the history of the Berlin Wall, starting with the Checkpoint Charlie Museum. I learned a lot about how Germany came to be split after WWII. How, the U.S., Britain and France split their opinions with once ally, Russia, after the war ended. I learned about the oppression, the escapes, the persecution, and ultimately, the uprising against two Germanys.

I think this photo is most interesting because it features a Russian Soldier and the U.S. flag. This is the checkpoint where East Berlin and West Berlin meet. On one side, freedom, the other, communism.

JFK visited Germany during his presidency and spoke at the famous Brandenburg Gate. In order to avoid any eye contact being made through the pillars from people in East Germany to the West, a giant curtain was put over the Gate. This painting is called “The Biggest Curtain in the World” and really sums it all up.

This photo really captured the emotion and strife for those who were trying to escape for a better life. I learned that children of parents who tried to flee but were caught, were often put up for adoption to a “fitting” communist family.

Even though the wall fell over 20 years ago, its presence is still everywhere. And rightfully so. You don’t want to forget what you don’t want to happen again. You have to learn from the past…and teach future generations about it as well.

I took this at the second longest stretch of remaining wall in Berlin.

I loved this painting…looking ahead.

I was surprised to see the amount of American graffiti on bits of the wall throughout. Go USA!

Berlin does an amazing job of documenting history for future generations. I’ve studied WWII a lot and have visited so many Holocaust Memorials. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin may be the best memorial I’ve been to.

The memorial covers 19,000 m² and is made up of 2711 concrete blocks. Under this impressive monument(s) is an amazing exhibition that chronicles the persecution and extermination of Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals and the ill. It has final letters, family histories, real stories from victims of the concentration camps and a tribute to all the Holocaust memorials throughout Europe. The amount of work put into this memorial is astounding. I will leave my political commentary at the door about other genocides and injustices that are happening in this world right now, and just tell you If you come to Berlin, you have to come here…and you must think about the past and the present.

OK, onto brighter topics...it’s interesting living in Europe during the Eurozone Crisis, so it was especially interesting to visit the Reichstag building, or parliament of the German government. Jason had arranged for us to visit the “dome” for a very interesting view of Berlin.

Check this out:

The dome had “daylighting” technologies that not only light the parliament, but also make for an awesome picture.

We walked up the dome to the top, for this marvelous, blue view of the Berlin sky.

Proof that I was there J

So we saw the dome in “real life” but how about the dome in “chocolate!”

This chocolate shop, Fassbender & Rausch, was amazing!

OK, so obviously Berlin has some amazing chocolate artists, but to really experience Berlin, you have to go where the real artists live…Kunst Halle.

We came upon this “abandoned” building on the way to dinner on Saturday night. Berlin respects and honors free space, meaning that abandoned buildings that may be destroyed in other cities are made available to communities…like artists. The Kunst Halle was a kind of intimidating place. It was dark, it was murky, it was very “Candyman-esque,” but…it was also filled with artists and their life’s work. I have to tell you, this was my most favorite part of Berlin. Maybe because it felt a little forbidden and scary. Maybe it’s because I respect these people’s wishes to live their lives creating what they love. Either way, I was so grateful to have the chance to be here.

So, this just scratches the surface of my time in Berlin. I didn’t even touch on the Brandenburg Gate, the room of silence (can you believe I did it!), the amazing Indian food, the masses of Englishmen visiting for a wild weekend, or the reaction both Jason and I had simultaneously when a tourist from the U.S. said…”OOOOOOOHHHH, another American!” In a nutshell, we both groaned (please forgive me my fellow Americans).

Berlin ain’t all that bad…and the currywurst? That wasn’t either.

Sometimes it's hard to believe I live here!

So, never move to Germany in February. Seriously, people, it is gray, cold and rainy. No wonder it was a tough first couple months here. Well, that and I really miss my friends and family at home (regardless of the weather). But, spring is finally settling in here in Munich, and, while I've still had my share of ups and downs this month (it is month 3...they say that's when it happens), today was a day where I said to myself (and maybe outloud for all those Germans around me to hear): I'm really lucky to live here.


That reminds me...the other day, I was chatting with a German colleague who had lived in the U.S. for several years. I asked him how he got over his homesickness. I was expecting an answer like, get out there, get involved, try new things, etc, etc. Nope. His answer: I got through it because I knew it [the homesickness] would end. OK, then. Well, if there's one thing I know about myself, that's not how I deal with things. :)

So, instead, I've been doing some exploring, whether by bike or foot, here are a few of my adventures so far.

Me on my trusty steed.

I haven't ridden a bike in a while...

This is my friend Katalin. She is excited to go on the bike tour...I promise!

So let's get started with the basics. Munich was founded by Monks and Monks brought beer to Munich. So pretty much everything in the city's history starts and ends with beer. Whether it's the implementation of purity laws to keep that beer deeeeeelicious, a two-week long celebration all hinged on beer or even settlement of property disputes...yep, I'll have another. So, here are a few places I've had a beer (or two).

The Augustiner Restaurant and Bier Keller is right in Karlsplatz. My friend Anton and I saw a woman pass out here...and it wasn't from the beer. While that made us a little antsy, the place is pretty darn cool still.

The Chinesierser Turm is in the Englischer Garten and is the second largest bier garten. Lots of oompa bands and schnitzel the size of your head can be consumed here with your liter of bier.

The Hofbrauhaus...yeah, you just got to...

The Park Cafe was a nice little surprise. It's nestled in the Botanical Gardens so you can drink a beer and stare at tulips!

This is a little restaurant on a little street somewhere in Munich. Doesn't that just look lovely!

Celebrating with a cold beer (yes, they are cold here) is a popular sport. Of course, everyone knows about Oktoberfest, but since that's still months away, cities all over Germany celebrated a spring-time version with Fruhling Fest. This is much smaller than Oktoberfest, but they do have a beery-go-round, so it's still pretty serious stuff, man.

As promised!

Not quite as rowdy or crowded as Oktoberfest, but still looks like a pretty fun time!

So before you all think that all I do is drink beer here, here are some of the pretty things I've come across in Munich.

When I stumbled across the Botanical Gardens on a walk one afternoon in March, the first signs of spring were just starting to pop up. It made such a difference in my attitude about being in a foreign land...alone. I actually felt happy! So, I've been back many times since then.

A branch (the Eisbach) of the Isar River snakes through the Englischer Garten. I took this picture while I was pedaling my bike across the bridge. Not too shabby...

I spent about 20 minutes here in Hofgarten today. There was a man playing the violin in the dome ahead and a little girl twirling and twirling around. It was sweet...and made me smile.

Doesn't this look like a nice place to spend an afternoon with friends? We should try it sometime :)

Karolinenplatz is just a short distance from my house and it's where the North American Embassy can be found. I loved the flowers here so much I actually got on the ground to take this picture. When I was walking by this morning, I noticed they were replacing the beds with the summer flowers. I can't wait to see what pops up!

Even my work is beautiful! Yes, this is the famous global headquarters for Siemens on Wittelsbacherplatz (say that 5 times fast). The building is called "the pink palace" because, well, it's pink. Gotta say, as much as I love Buffalo Grove, this office location pretty much has it beat!

There are a lot of beautiful buildings and statues throughout Munich...not just my office.

I have no idea what building this is, but isn't it spectacular!?! It's so ginormous and old. I must look like a total idiot walking around mouth agape mumbling "it's so old and beautiful" all the time.

In Marienplatz, the center of the city, there are so many beautiful and interesting things to see. This fountain stands where the fish market did centuries ago. It's said that if you dip your wallet in the fountain on Ash Wednesday, you will have wealth all your life. The mayor of Munich actually upholds this tradition and dips the city purse in the fountain every year. I will be in line next Ash Wednesday...

Also on Marienplatz is the beautiful Neues Rathaus (or cityhall). The clock tower houses the Glockenspiel, which is essentially a giant cuckoo clock. Three times a day the Glockenspiel comes to life. One of the tour guides said it was 15 minutes of your life you'll never get back, but I quite liked it.

The city center is surrounded by tors (or gates), which I think makes it feel very cool and castle-like. This is Karlsplatz Tor.

Seriously two blocks away from my flat is Konigsplatz (or King's Place). There's a lot of history here. Rallies during WWII and such. I haven't got all the details here, but regardless, it's pretty cool to walk down your street and come upon this.

This is the top of my favorite church in Munich. Although a lot of people think it's the ugliest, I love the bright color and detail. Plus, it's called Theatinerkirche...so if you can't pronounce that, you can just call it Tina Turner Church and people will know exactly what you're talking about.

So, Munich has beer, beauty and a lot of fantastic buildings and statues. Did I also mention that they have surfing? Yep, the branch of the Isar River that I mentioned above has quite a current and at this spot in particular, some boulders have created a rideable wave.

Yes, the U.S. will always be home. I love the pace, I love the people, I love the comforts of home. But, I have to admit, Munich definitely has its charm. You should come see for yourself! :)

The North American Embassy

Bike. Tulips. More Bikes. Canals. Van Gogh. Bikes...

That's what most people think of when they think of Amsterdam. And most people are not wrong about this beautiful little city in Holland.

Although my trip to Amsterdam was short, we managed to jam pack a lot of great things into a few days. I went with my best friend's sister, Kim, who happens to also be a great friend of mine. We met some of her friends from Hotlanta and NYC and had a little adventure in Holland.

So, to start, we all stayed at an apartment right on one of the many canals. Like most European cities, Amsterdam was built from the inside out. As more people moved in, more canals were built around the city. These "canal houses" are really unique and beautiful...but really narrow. And as a result a little cattywampus. Climbing to our apartment was an adventure, with or without luggage. Check out how steep our stairs were.

That's definitely scary after a few beers! But all worth it for this view...

I don't have as much history about Amsterdam as I did Leipzig. We spent most of our time there just enjoying the city. We hung out at some local pubs...

 took a "romantic" canal cruise... (how gorgeous is this picture? Nice job Mark!)

saw a lot of bikes... 

Crossed bridges and took pictures of them too...

And went to the Van Gogh Museum. Unfortunately, I couldn't take any picture in there so I'm replacing one of Van Gogh's beautiful works with this gorgeous picture of tulips (my favorite...hint, hint) that Mark took.

All-in-all, this little city has a lot of atmosphere to offer. We had a great time, and I met some great new friends. I'm looking forward to traveling with them again!