This month marks the beginning of my Erasmus+ exchange at Freie Universitat in Berlin! It is the one semester, so only until February/March, and it means that I will experience true winter after a year in sunny Barcelona…
I enrolled today after arriving yesterday, and then decided to explore the city with my camera. It rained a lot, so I didn’t take many photos, but I have a feeling I’ll have to get used to the rain.
Tomorrow (3rd October) is a public holiday to celebrate when Germany became unified, so it will be exciting to go and see the celebrations.
It will also be interesting to compare life here to Spain (and the U.K. of course). Already I have experienced the efficiency that Spain, bless its heart, lacks. I love how Spain has made me a (slightly) warmer person, and a lot more relaxed about life, but maybe to the point I can be too relaxed about important matters e.g. I nearly was just going to pack a bag and turn up in Berlin, but a couple of weeks ago I realised that I needed to look into important things such as bank accounts etc.
I’ve already noticed how nice people are. Germans have a reputation for being cold, but this is only meant to be exterior. Already I have been treated with kindness, and people seem very respectful of one another. So first impressions so far are good!
I’m living in student halls a little far from the centre. It might become tiresome, all the travel and being in the suburbs, but it’s very cheap.
Today marks the start of Lupus Awareness Month, so I am extra appreciative of this new adventure I am able to have despite my own body constantly trying to set me back. Only a week ago I was in the hospital having tests done because of inflammatory chest pains and a viral infection, feeling absolutely rotten and worried that this move would trigger a flare up. So I’ve had to temporarily double my steroids, and it seems to be doing the trick! 15mg for two weeks then back to 7.5mg, and I should be on track to go down to 5mg in November.
I have also decided to make a little check list of what to do in Berlin:
Learn some German
Do all the tourist things
Visit elsewhere in Germany
Eat lots of German food
Learn more about German culture/history
Christmas Markets
Not a very challenging list…but one to help me embrace my semester here! If anyone has any tips/recommendations for Berlin/Germany – I’m all ears. I’ve never been to Germany before so this is quite an adventure! And I’m rather clueless.
Inside a Mind 