When we were initially planning this trip, we knew we didn't want to spend all of our time on the move. We wanted to choose a few places to really settle down a little bit, give ourselves a chance to get to know them and imagine what it might be like to really live there. We knew we'd be 3 months in rural India at the beginning, so we arbitrarily decided to pick two other locations to stay for 3 weeks each. There was almost no question that Berlin would be one of them.
We first came to Berlin together 3 years ago for a brief visit on the
tail end of a trip to Germany for our friend Lars' wedding. We fell in
love with the place immediately. It was early summer and very warm and
we (and everyone else, it seemed) were out riding bicycles and picnicing
in the parks. The whole city felt young and vibrant and alive with art
and architecture and people making things happen.
Berlin is the second biggest construction site in the world, after
Shanghai, yet there is 13% unemployment. Locals like to say that Berlin
is “poor, but sexy.” For a capitol city, it is certainly amazing how
empty it can feel sometimes. You can be riding the U Bahn in the middle
of a Monday morning and find the station nearly empty. But on a sunny
day in the springtime, every park is full. Biking, grilling, drinking
beer outside… these are things the Germans seem to place a lot of
importance on. It’s also remarkable how cheap and spacious the
accommodation is. Compared to London or Paris, this is a capitol city in
Europe that actually seems affordable to live in. If you can find a
job, that is.
As the steady creep of gentrification moves eastward in this city,
giant communist housing blocks have been occupied by young artists and
hipsters. I’m told it’s still common to find listening wires under the
wallpaper when renovating old apartments in the East. We are staying in
what is referred to as the “up and coming bohemian area,” but is really
still the Turkish part of town.
Most of the Turks came to Germany originally as a part of the American
Marshall plan, a labor force of young men to help rebuild this country.
Naturally, their families followed soon after and many have been here
for generations. Most are still not German citizens. It wasn’t until
1990 that the law was changed so that children born to foreigners were
given the option of German citizenship (unlike EU citizens, they
have to choose at the age of 23 between Turkish and German citizenship).
There are over 4 million people of Turkish origin living in Germany.
They are Germany’s largest minority. Nearly 40% are not citizens. Many have chosen not to call this place home.
Recently, for some reason, quite a few people have asked
us if we're feeling homesick. We've talked about it, and neither of us
is, particularly. We miss our friends and family, of course. And our
cat. And sometimes there's a specific place (Limantour Beach, the
Marshall Store, Sitka and Spruce, the old Vivace, Pony, Honk Fest) we
wish we could be. But for the most part, I would say we're still happy
being on the road. Of course, it's been nice to have an apartment,
particularly a kitchen. There's nothing that makes us happier than
shopping at a farmer's market, coming home with an armload of food and
flowers, and spending the afternoon cooking. But it's hard to be
homesick when you don't have a very particular home to imagine. This
apartment in Berlin is just as much ours as anywhere right now.
We left Seattle at the end of August last year with all of
our things in a UHaul full of boxes. Those boxes are still sitting in
DiAnn's attic in California. We set out on this trip with the idea that
we would make a new home wherever Kacy got a job. And that is still the
plan. So while we will always love Seattle and our friends there, it is
unlikely we will be returning there to live anytime soon. And while I
will always consider Inverness my home, it is unlikely that Kacy's first
job will land us in the Bay Area.
Lars with his youngest daughter, Anna Lou
So how do you feel homesick for somewhere you may never have been? Well, we've decided to extend our trip as long as we can afford it. Kacy will be going back to India to teach another round of the UW study abroad program there for the summer quarter. I will be fulfilling a lifelong desire to go hiking in Norway. And we will both meet back again in Berlin in mid-August. We imagine we'll return to the US before the end of the fall. We have to get back in time to vote, after all.
