Berlin: 6.30.11

Berlin, Berlin, Berlin.

I arrived in the city, as I explained to my family, safe but not entirely sound. I managed to twist my ankle while entering our hotel, and though it didn't swell much it won't take all of my weight and it's sore when I walk on it. The location of the hotel made up for my ankle's deficiencies, fortunately: we are in central Schoneberg, just up the street from the apartment building in which David Bowie used to live and a restaurant at which Jocelyn and I enjoyed glasses of wine during our last trip.

Our stay so far has been very low-key. We tried out an "American rock bar" on our first night, but it was nearly empty since it was a Sunday evening. We returned to The Green Door, a supposedly "hidden" and "exclusive" bar with an extensive cocktail menu that we visited in April, and Hafen, a small bar that we also visited on that trip, on Monday. We explored a few local joints on Tuesday, and spent Wednesday in, getting work done. Our nightlife experiences haven't been particularly memorable so far, perhaps with the exception of a magician we encountered at The Green Door and a waitress who had spent some time living in Miami that we met at a Cuban restaurant. She brought us free shots, for being kindred Miami-dwelling spirits.

Our daytimes, so far, have been more active. they are primarily occupied with work, of course, as they should be, but we've managed to find time for a few other pursuits. On our first morning, Jon snuck out while I was still in bed and returned with caviar, mozzarella, mini toast-like bread pieces, prosciutto, and orange juice. Talk about a lovely breakfast! We also payed a visit to Schwarzes Cafe, our favorite discovery of the last visit. It was delightful to be back - it feels like what Berlin is supposed to be to me. Afterwards we relaxed in a nearby park, working and reading.

the next day we ventured out to a shabu shabu restaurant I had read about online. It was a bit expensive, but it was delicious and it came with a lot of food: 3 kinds of mushroom, chicken, a couple kinds of leafy greenery, salmon, shrimp, 3 kinds of fishballs, 3 kinds of noodles, squid and, of course, thinly sliced beef. Very tasty.

After lunch, I had to rush home to take a phone call with my two learning partners from the coaching class I had just finished. Since it was our final call together we'd planned to do a coaching triad: 1 coach, 1 client, 1 observer who critiques the interaction. It was a terrifying prospect - I had never practice coached before, not ever, not in any context. Somehow I had made it through 3 classes without practicing a single time. Clearly I needed to, since it's the only way to really learn, but I was so scared of being bad! I've never been good at making myself do things (publicly, at least) that I don't think I'll be good at, but this time I had no choice.

And you know what? It went surprisingly well! I volunteered to coach first (Classic trick from the school presentation days - go first so you look brave and there's no one to compare you to!), and though I started off on slightly shaky ground, I soon found my footing and felt much more comfortable. We even arrived at a solution to my "coachee's" problem! It felt fantastic, especially when we'd switched roles and, as coaches, neither of the others managed to lead their "clients" to a strategy. In an email afterwards, both of them also mentioned my coaching session as the most helpful and interesting of the three. So although it was not a perfect session, I feel good about it. And now that my first session is done, I feel much more confident and excited about coaching in general.

I think that's about it for now...the highlights of my trip so far!

Berlin: 6.25.11

And so it begins again.

I am excited about all beginnings, but this one will be remembered as particularly thrilling. 5 days ago, I had no plans to travel, to Berlin or anywhere else. Jon and I had discussed spending July there after falling in love with the city in April, but tickets proved to be prohibitively expensive and we had to abandon the idea. But just when I had resigned myself to summer in New York - and was even beginning to look forward to the idea - the winds of whim whipped through my little Manhattan studio. Jon checked ticket prices, and there it was: Newark to Berlin, for $270.

No self-respecting nomad could pass up an opportunity (and a fare) like that, so within minutes our flights were booked, I had a last minute hair appointment, and my apartment was listed on Craigslist. We decided to keep our sudden change of plans to ourselves, and announce that we were going to Berlin...well...after we were in Berlin.

For a trip that was conceived of, planned, and embarked upon in five days, things have been surprisingly smooth. I found a subletter immediately, and since I had just returned from another trip my life was practically already packed. Anything that needed to be in storage was already there, so preparing to leave was as simple as cleaning the apartment and throwing my clothes in a bag. Before you could say "Wham bam thank you ma'am," I was packed and ready to go. Our journey to Newark went off without a hitch, as did our flights from there to Keflavik, Iceland, and from Iceland to Berlin. Iceland Express leaves something to be desired (free beverages, most notably), but the fare was so spectacular that I suppose I shouldn't complain.

What can I say about Berlin? I have fallen in love with the city, though I often fear that I've fallen for Berlin-that-was rather than Berlin-that-is. Still, that's consistent with my personality, as I have always been an anachronism, and I don't believe that anyone or anything can ever fully escape their history, so I'm sure I will find my beloved Berlin of antiquity hiding somewhere within the modern city. I want the Berlin of Isherwood and Sally Bowles. I want the decadence of the Weimar Republic. I want to be inspired by the underground burlesque of Berlin-then and the underground techno of Berlin-now.

That's really all I want: to be inspired. To be swept up. To be engulfed. To feel that I have been a part of something that others will not and can not, and to become a better writer and a more interesting person because of it.

I have faith that Berlin, lovely city that she is, city of the beautiful and damned, can get me there.