Things I love about Berlin

I have a love-hate relationship with this city and despite walking home in torrential downpour after class this afternoon, I'm currently in a love phase. Actually, I may or may not be curled up on my bed with a cup of tea and genuinely enjoying the rain right now ;)

This post was inspired on Saturday night as I was on my way to my friend Emma's apartment. As I stepped off the Ringbahn and heard the familiar station stop announcement, I was suddenly hit with a pang of sadness. In a matter of months, I will no longer live here, and I must admit that I will be heartbroken (yes, such a dramatic word is fitting here!) when I get back on BART after experiencing the wonder that is the Berlin public transit system. I will miss hearing "Zug nach Nollendorfplatz, ansteigen bitte" and "Übergang zur S-Bahn" on the train, and I will miss looking up at the Anzeige and finding out if I just missed the train or am just on time for the next one.

But that is just one of many, many things I know I will miss when I leave.

A non-exhaustive list:

• Brötchen, Schnitzel, and Döner. They might make me fat, but they sure as hell make me so happy that I just don't care about the long term consequences, at least not now.
• Bier anytime, anywhere, and for a lower price than a Coke. See above point for note on health.
• Mauerpark Flohmarkt on beautiful Sunday afternoons

 p/c my friend Gayle

• Rotwein evenings with Alicia and our denglischer Quatsch
• Watching all my favorite shows again in German because all the media here is dubbed
• Watching OmU English/American movies at the theater and occasionally minding the German subtitles
• Going to bed at 4 AM and calling it "early"
• Spätis
• Tempelhofer Feld

• 80 cent ice cream cones
• Lots of Gouda
• Well dressed and attractive people everywhere
• Dishwashers
• These cookies from the Turkish market. Again, see first point for health note.

• The cats
• Eating a lot of butter and not feeling like the biggest heifer in the room. This has become a problem ever since I got back to Berlin.
• Seasons, specifically sweater weather
• Bakeries at all the Bahnhöfe constantly tempting me to buy a Schokocroissant
• Going to a different club every night
• Riding the party train (AKA the U1) very late/very early
• Daily run at dusk around the 'hood 

• Museumsinsel, Alexanderplatz, Unter den Linden, Brandenburger Tor, Hackescher Markt & Höfe, and all the other touristy places
• Schloßstrasse
• Weekly dinners with my bombass European chicas (+ fellow American Ella)

• Football
• Kinder Country

Suddenly, the sun has come out, and it looks to be a completely different day. People say London has the most unpredictable weather, but I think Berlin really takes that prize.

I am quickly coming up on three full months in Europe and soon, my time here will be halfway over. The days have flown by! I guess it's time to start appreciating more and partying harder, ja?