I spent a very colorful week in Berlin getting reacquainted with the city that I love and people I love. I spent the week closing out a chapter for my book, allowing sleep to find me, and tried my best to ignore emails and requests that required labor I didn’t have the energy to perform. On my auto response email, I wrote;
Blacktime is time for chimeful
poemhood
but they decree a
jagged chiming now.
Gwendolyn Brooks
I am still finding my way since my return. A way that unsurprisingly has been a bit difficult as I approach my birthday and all of life woes and wonders become these huge moments of retrospection. Of course, this isn’t atypical for a cancer, but I am hoping that this week is a bit easier than the last. The kids are now spending some time with their grandparents and their dad, and I’m upstate doing my own due diligence in The Mae House and in my body before spending weeks as exploiting chief camp parent. I love it here because it forces this thought of slowing way down to be a prosperous one. And I believe that that’s a huge portion of my love for Berlin.
Here are a few colorful photos if you’d like to see!
Unsurprisingly there were lots of meals out and coffees by the plenty!
I took the subway everywhere, and still find the Berlin system to be why I feel so comfortable there. It rained the entire time I was there (except for one day), so I purchased this vintage trench coat for 40 euros. It was a life saver!
I saw the Beautiful Disruption in person, and was enamored by the colors of the show and the rooms.
I read essays and ate juicy fruit by the lake on the only sunny and exceptionally warm day.
As always, I spent a lot of the time walking, catching up, wearing oversized comfortable clothes, and realizing the vast relationship to travel again.
Have you traveled lately? And if so, where did you go?
Berlin is on my list of places I’d like to go, so thank you for the travelogue! And you went swimming! I recently finished reading “Turning: A Year in the Water,” by Jessica J. Lee in which she documents swimming in all of the lakes in Berlin. Even in the winter (brrrr). But you might enjoy it. Congratulations on the Mae House!
Oh wow! I’ve never heard of the book but I am going to check it out now. So fitting. Thank you,. Berlin is beautiful, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!
xo
I love this post. It is a beautiful reminder of slowing down and savouring the things that help us slowdown. I am just back in hard lockdown where I am but had a lovely time last week taking my daughters and nieces to eat crepes and see art and look at vintage clothes. I am so grateful for that day.