I have been lucky in my life so far to have been able to travel, and live abroad, quite a lot. I lived, and studied (although not very much!!!!!) in Swansea, Wales for six months as an exchange student and traveled through Australia and New Zealand, also for six months. When you leave for a considerable amount of time, and when you know you will be in one place for a while, it is always a nice feeling to think about having people come and visit you. When I left for Berlin, I opened the invitation for people to come and visit me to almost everyone I knew, secretly knowing that I would probably not have many takers. It's not that people don't want to come, that I know. It's a question of time and money, as most things in life are! But it felt nice to tell people to come and see me, because you never know what will happen in life!
And guess what?!?!?! I have had a taker!!! My friend Marie-Claude, whom I met at the Children's Hospital, where she also works, had planned, as her vacation, a trip to France. In a series of coincidences, which life is so full of, her father was asked to transfer to Berlin for six months or so, as of mid-August of this year. With this new development, she decided to add Berlin to her list of places to see on this trip, and yesterday, I spent the whole day with my first visitor from home!!! There is something so special to be in a new and exciting city with someone from home. It feels so surreal and yet so comfortable. We spent the whole day walking around Berlin's many wonderful neighborhoods, stopping in little boutiques and funky clothes stores, talking about things and people from home. We stopped to have coffee and cakes, a must when in Germany! She met my roommates and saw my flat, and I showed her some of the things that my new wonderful city is so well-known for.
I had dinner with her and her parents, which was so lovely. As much as you want your Independence and can't wait, as of a certain age, to move out of your parents' house and live on your own, there is something so comforting and so universal to be around a family and have dinner with them. It was nice to get their impressions of the city and to hear what their experience so far had been like.
I sincerely hope that I will have the pleasure in welcoming many more visitors here in beautiful Berlin. I have said it many times before but will say it again: come and visit!!!!!
And guess what?!?!?! I have had a taker!!! My friend Marie-Claude, whom I met at the Children's Hospital, where she also works, had planned, as her vacation, a trip to France. In a series of coincidences, which life is so full of, her father was asked to transfer to Berlin for six months or so, as of mid-August of this year. With this new development, she decided to add Berlin to her list of places to see on this trip, and yesterday, I spent the whole day with my first visitor from home!!! There is something so special to be in a new and exciting city with someone from home. It feels so surreal and yet so comfortable. We spent the whole day walking around Berlin's many wonderful neighborhoods, stopping in little boutiques and funky clothes stores, talking about things and people from home. We stopped to have coffee and cakes, a must when in Germany! She met my roommates and saw my flat, and I showed her some of the things that my new wonderful city is so well-known for.
I had dinner with her and her parents, which was so lovely. As much as you want your Independence and can't wait, as of a certain age, to move out of your parents' house and live on your own, there is something so comforting and so universal to be around a family and have dinner with them. It was nice to get their impressions of the city and to hear what their experience so far had been like.
I sincerely hope that I will have the pleasure in welcoming many more visitors here in beautiful Berlin. I have said it many times before but will say it again: come and visit!!!!!
1 comment:
I wonder if I'll be next!
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