It feels so surreal to be writing this, knowing that in a little over a month I will be back at home, not knowing the next time I’ll be back in Berlin. A year ago, I was moving out of my house in Sheffield, saying goodbye to friends, having no idea what was ahead of me. I felt uncertain and scared. Now, a year later, I cannot believe all that has happened and all that I have done in that time. I can absolutely say that I made the right decision in choosing to study abroad for a year. I know this sounds cliché, but I do believe I have grown as a person too. Being pushed out of my comfort zone, has made me much more confident, resilient, and outgoing. I came to Berlin not knowing the city and not knowing anyone, and now I am leaving knowing I have made incredible friends and made a home and life for myself in this city. It’s such a bittersweet feeling, knowing I’m going to have to say goodbye to my friends and not knowing when I’m next going to see them again – though I have no doubt that we will all keep in touch. There have been some amazing high points, like getting to travel with my friends and experiencing all there is to do in Berlin, but also some low points too – like walking home in tears because I couldn’t figure out how to buy stamps in German! Its been a roller-coaster of emotions, but the good has always outweighed the bad though – If I could do it all again, I absolutely would. As this is my final blog, I thought I would write down a few of my favourite places and things to do in Berlin.
Berlin has so many green spaces. One of my favourite things to do is go to Tempelhof Feld with friends. It is the old airport of Berlin that has now been turned into a massive park. There are always people skating, flying kites, and having a barbecue. I loved having a picnic and some drinks with my friends there while watching the sunset. It’s such a nice relaxing thing to do on a sunny evening. Victoria Park is also a great place to go, with a waterfall, and is one of the few hills in Berlin! Another of my favourite thing to do outdoors was to go to one of Berlin’s many lakes. Wansee and Krumme Lanke are great places to go for an outdoor swim, with nice beaches. It’s a great day trip to do with friends.
One of the things I love most about this city is the range of café, bars, and restaurants it has. One thing that pleasantly surprised me was the variety of cuisines and vegetarian options. Berlin has lots of cute cafes to work in or chill in, and I loved trying out different bakeries. There are also so many cool, unique bars. In the warmer weather I loved just being able to meet up with friends and go and sit outside at a restaurant/bar for hours. Almost every place had outdoor seating which I loved. My absolute favourite place to go on a sunny evening is Holzmark 25. It’s situated along the Spree River in Berlin and has many different independent food and drink vendors and lots of different outdoor seating to choose from. It’s always such a great vibe and a great place to hang out with friends until the sun goes down.
There are lots of activities to do in Berlin. In the winter, there were plenty of things to do indoors. My friends and I had great fun at a horror themed Escape room. There are also so many fascinating museums, I would definitely recommend the Deutches Espionage Museum, it had a lazar maze that you had to try and get through – and it was more difficult than it looked! Pottery painting at Paint Your Style is also such a fun activity on a rainy day, my friends and I liked it so much we went back more than once. In Spring and Summer, going to Mauerpark flea market is a must do. It has clothes, food, drinks, books and so much more for sale. But the highlight is definitely the karaoke there. Everyone is singing and dancing, its so much fun and really wholesome too. Another event worth mentioning is Karnival de Kulturen, which was a great experience. There was a massive parade and celebrations that went on for the whole of the bank holiday weekend. I also made the most of Berlin Ice Cream week as all participating shops had a special flavour ice cream that was only 1 Euro.
These are just a few of the many options and activities Berlin offers. I have made the most amazing memories here, and I feel so lucky to be able to have had this opportunity. If there’s one thing I hope you take a way from this, it is that if you’ve got the option to study abroad for a year – absolutely do it!
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