I always hated how some bloggers sound pretentious starting their blog posts with “everybody asked me to write about (some random topic), so finally here it is”. That’s why I was super hesitant to start in the same manner; but I can list at least several people who did ask me to post a detailed Berlin guide they could pass on to their friends traveling to the city. So okay, it wasn’t “everybody”, but it still made me feel so humble at times. And so—here it is. (Self-cringe!)

Musings: Berlin (heart emoji)

I was decluttering my laptop the other day, which is something I'll probably keep doing as long as I live, and  I found a short piece I wrote in 20 minutes last year just a couple of days after having left Berlin. This was actually a part of the test for a certain job: they wanted to check my written English and I was supposed to write anything at all ASAP. So I let my heart speak.

I didn't get the job eventually; if I recall correctly, I was told the piece is good but then they never bothered to contact me again. I read it now, after more than a year, and decided to publish it. Here's a different love story.

Spreepark Berlin—A Tale of an Entertainment Park

I still miss it. I'm refraining from going through old photos and blog posts because why put salt on the wound? And this one, this wound, guys, is real. What I keep doing, though, is checking prices to Berlin from airports close by... well, yes, 6 hours is close by... sort of. Springs in Berlin are no less than magical and I want to say goodbye before I move overseas—at least a temporary goodbye, because that's one of those love stories that never ends, y'know? Especially because, as a friend put it: "you might find it expensive now but once you start making money at the end of the world it'll seem crazy cheap and you'll regret not having gone". True! So here I am, making plans and lists of things I want to see again and visit again and eat again. (Currywurst and doner kebab, I'm looking at you!) 

A Foodie Heaven in Kreuzberg, Berlin: Street Food Thursday, Markthalle9

Here's the thing. 

I miss Berlin. I miss it terribly, I miss it like a lover who's shaped me for life, I miss it like a child I gave up, I miss it like the love of my life. Which it is. 

Beware, a personal post with heavy reflections ahead. If not interested, just scroll until you find "Markthalle 9" written in large letters.

Berlin Boatride or How To Enjoy Your Town Cruise

Oh wow, it's been quite a while since this boatride happened. Google Chrome keeps reminding me of it every day, as I installed a plugin to make me more productive... though the reality is it's only making me more miserable. Give it a go if you'd like. Anyway, the day before my 27th birthday my friend who visited his BF in Berlin was struck by the fact that I had no plans for my birthday whatsoever, so the two of them arranged a boatride and invited me to join them. As this was actually one of the things to do before I (eventually) leave Berlin, I was delighted! My birthday is in late September, so we enjoyed the fall colors and just seeing the city from the water. We also had wine and a birthday cupcake. It was a day well spent.

#MBFWB Day 2

Firstly: I wanted to write about each day in the following night, like I did for Day 1, but obviously, I thought too high of myself. Fashion Week is actually quite exhausting, so coming home every night I only wanted to sleep, just to wake up the next morning and having to leave soon because of the first show of the day. Plus my computer is so infected with I DON'T KNOW WHAT that basically disables me to do anything on the Internet. I spent two hours yesterday trying to fix it, and I thought I had, but now it's back again. I think I'm gonna scream. :( 

On day 2 of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week I only had two shows to attend, so I decided to explore the other things connected to the Berlin Fashion Week, but not necessarily in cooperation with Mercedes-Benz. Not really sure what I’m talking about? Don’t worry, me neither, but the thing is there is this official Mercedes-Benz website, where you can also find info on NY, Istanbul and Sydney Fashion Weeks, because Mercedes-Benz is their sponsor. On the other hand, there is a Berlin Fashion Week website that offers other events as well.

#MBFW Berlin: Day 1 (And a Few Other Words)

{If you're interested only in the IVANMAN and VEKTOR shows, please scroll down, as I'll be sharing some personal insight into the whole me-at-the-Fashion-Week story that you might not be interested in. :) }

Step outside of the comfort zone, they said.

Take a leap of faith, they said.

So I did. I applied for a press accreditation for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin (which is a long name, so I'll keep referring to it as #MBFWB). 

First of all, I didn't want to apply at all. I just shared something about not standing a single chance on Twitter, and then a lovely lady that shares my love for fashion encouraged me to at least try. 

The Lungs of Kreuzberg - Prinzessinnengarten

I've noticed lately that healthy lifestyle is becoming more and more popular - which is supergreat, of course! People are getting hooked on exercise (I haven't gotten there yet, but hopefully I will!), riding bicycles instead of using cars and/or public transport, visiting farmers' markets for fresh fruits and veggies instead of getting those in large chain supermarkets... or growing their own food. As someone whose mother has grown her own veggies ever since I can remember, I find it quite funny that it's so hip nowadays - especially when I remember that her veggies had never looked as good as the one in the supermarket, so of course a kid would prefer a better looking bell pepper... (because the kid knows nothing).

Back!

When you change countries and travel and fall in love with places so much and so deeply that you start considering them homes, being "back" does not have a straightforward meaning. So, here's a clarification: I'm back in Berlin!!!

Escape from the City: Rostock

Everybody knows how much I loved Berlin and its vibrant atmosphere - but sometimes you just need a break. That's why one day in September I woke up at 5 AM and hopped on a bus to Rostock, a town on the Baltic sea only 2 hours away, and then went to a nearby sea resort, Warnemünde. So calm. Fresh. Relaxing. You cannot believe you'll be back in the city by the end of the day. And when you do, you feel reborn. Energized. Your batteries full to the maximum. Ready to tackle the routine.

Klunkerkranich - Berlin from above

Never in my life have I waited in line to get somewhere during the day (if we count out banks, post offices, doing administrative and paperwork at uni... you get the point, I'm talking about coffee places & bars & such). Well, ok, I rarely even waited in the night (I would usually not go to places that are so popular you have to wait to get in there). I cannot even remember what the last time I waited was... um, maybe six months ago in Paris? So as long as I can remember it seemed to me that these two things go together - actually, I wouldn't ever, not for a second, even think otherwise - lines are for night clubs, and that's it. Then I went to a place in Berlin I read about, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I got there and witnessed a line of about 50 people. At 7 PM. It seemed just crazy. Again Berlin-themed blogs and websites I'm following found a place to tell everyone about - apparently I wasn't the only reader... My flatmate and I weren't sure whether we should stand in the line or not, because I only had time for like one drink. But then we decided that's it, we're getting in after coming all the way there ('there' being Neukölln, not really a neighborhood you visit daily).

See, Hear, Feel Berlin: Video Clips

So far I've been trying to show you Berlin in photos and words, and I hope I've been at least a bit successful in a way that you thought 'oh, this looks interesting / worth visiting'. Today, a few weeks before I'd leave Germany, I'm bringing you some songs with videos filmed in Berlin. I think it started when my friend posted a Seeed video you'll find below, and then I started watching related videos, playlists and such. Over time I've come up with this li'l list of mine of songs I enjoy both because of the music and the videos. I hope you like it!

This video by Alle Farben for the song She Moves (Far Away) was filmed in Tempelhof during a music festival. Doesn't it look just relaxed and as if it's possible not to have any worries in life?! If you like the song, you can also find the official video here.

East Side Gallery

If you come to Berlin as a tourist, this is a place unlikely to be missed. After having seen Alexanderplatz, Checkpoint Charlie, Brandenburger Tor, one needs to take a relaxed stroll down this section of the Berlin Wall. It's located close to the center, in Friedrichshein, along the river Spree. It's the longest open air gallery in the world (1.3 km long, which is also the largest remaining section of the Wall). 

After the Wall came down in 1989, artists from all over the world gathered to make this unique and original piece of art. They transformed the former untouchable Wall with bright paintings and activist messages, celebrating life, joy, freedom and hope. 

Welcome to the Hipster Kingdom

I once thought Kreuzberg was my favorite part of Berlin. It's fun - cobblestone streets, cute cafes on the pavements, a lot of greenery, hipsters, immigrants and their stores, what more could you ask for? But then I went to Friedrichshein. Friedrichshein is WOW! While I find Kreuzberg more relaxed and laid-back, with people eating vegan stuff and drinking beer lazily while sitting on the sidewalk, sipping coffee and working on a computer in a coffeeshop, Friedrichshein is so alive. For example, when you arrive at Warschauer Strasse station, probably the first thing you will hear is a singer or a band busking outside of the station. Turn to your right and cross the bridge, you will find punks on their couches on the street with little cardboard boxes saying something like PLEASE DONATE FOR WEED.

Instagram Jul & Aug: It Should Have Been Summer

This time I won’t mourn over the past two months and how time flies and this and that; we’ve entered September so it means New Year’s is just around the corner, and you canot neglect that fact. Moreover, it’s my birthday in few weeks and to be honest, it’s hilarious that I’m turning 26 and I’m still being asked for my ID when buying... ummm, when entering clubs. :) So, if you’re living in Europe, this past summer was probably one of the worst you’ve experienced – weather-wise. Actually, did I just say summer? I don’t know what was wrong with it, but it was summer for maaaybe ten days. Two weeks? Apart from the beginning of June, Germany was cold. I was looking forward to going home to Serbia, wholeheartedly hoping it would be warmer there because hey, it’s in the south, right? – but nope, Serbia bailed on me. I mean, okay, I did experience some sunny days and a few were even hot, but rarely would it exceed 30 degrees Celsius. Which is fine if you ask me, but it’s not normal for this time of the year! In Serbia we’re usually swimming in our sweat during the whole months of July and August, so excuse me, but this sudden change is not normal, no matter how convenient! And back in Germany I had to admit that the fall was here – not later but in mid-August. How awful is that?!

Berlin Summer Market

I like clicking "attend" to various Berlin events on Facebook just to keep them there and know what's going on in the city - but truth be told, I rarely actually attend. Most of the times I'm busy, but it also happens that I'm just not in the right mood. Last Wednesday it almost happened that I missed this thing, but in matter of minutes I packed my tote bag and decided I'm heading out. And I was so glad afterwards!

The thing we're talking about here was Berlin Summer Market. Hipster kingdom. Fashion & arts market. Place of the cool kids. It took place at an amazing venue that I'm looking forward to exploring by day, and I will because it's THAT awesome! (What I love about Berlin is that I keep stumbling upon great new places/things, but that's another story.)

Berlin: The Wall Memorial

I never loved history in school. So many battles and dates and kings to remember, so many things that I could not connect to anything. I did like stories on how common people lived back in the ages and what they did and how they spent their time, but no teacher wanted to teach that. They all had a plan they had to stick to. It wasn't before 2nd or 3rd year in the uni that I realised the awful truth: they were bad teachers - or the system itself was bad, because none of them ever even tried letting us see the bigger picture. They taught lessons as completely separate units, and that's how we students perceived them. We were never told about the connection between things and events that there were. I don't know why that is, but I do feel that I'm lacking an awful lot of knowledge of the world's history. 

That especially applies to the 20th century. In Serbia it is taught in 8th grade of the elementary and 4th grade of high school - both times it's the final year and everybody's concerned about getting to the high school they want to enrol in, or university. The teachers know that, so some of them don't really ask much from students. And here I was last year, in my mid-twenties, coming to Berlin for the first time ever, and having no idea of the Berlin Wall and the post-war events and the GDR and the fall of the Wall... EMBARRASSING or what!

Berlin Bucket List

(via)

I know two weeks' time is short in theory, but my trip back home felt even shorter! Like, didn't I just arrive two days ago? And now I'm back in Germany, I landed an hour and a half ago and here I am, sitting at the uni, waiting for the class. Again, in theory, I have two months here before I move to the Netherlands. But I'm planning to do some travelling in September, and maybe road takes me somewhere at the end of August too. We'll see. So basically, I feel as if I only have three weeks left to enjoy Berlin and Potsdam, and besides attending my Scientific Writing course and writing proposal for my thesis and thinking of what I want to do when I grow up (PhD matter again), I want to do all the things I've been planning to, but just thought I'd do them sometime. Well, a similar thing happened to me in Finland, and in the end I never visited the city museum, for example, so I don't want to leave Germany with a similar feeling of "I should've done that". That's why I have some sort of Berlin bucket list with things to do before I leave.

Turned an Airport into a Park (And Got Away with It)

Have you ever taken off and wondered how it would be to be outside on the runway? Have you thought to yourself that it would make an amazing place to skate or ride a bicycle? Well, if so, you're not crazy - runways do seem like great places to do such things. There is one airport in the world where you can actually do it - and it's in Berlin.

Instagram May & June

Hello there everyone! I just cannot BELIEVE that the first half of the year is gone already. These 6 months have gone by so quickly. I guess it has to do with moving countries and constant travelling (11 flights!), plus excitements of all kinds, and I apologize to my Mom once again for not contacting her in a while - June began and it feels as if the day after it was July 1st already, it's crazy, sorry Mom, I love you the most!

So here is the recap of the last two months in Instagram photos.