KEL: Adventures in Berlin

Berlin is one of those experiences that I would imagine would be a lot like boot camp.  I've never been to boot camp, but I have been told that while you're there, it hurts physically but teaches you a lot about teamwork, a positive attitude, and mental perseverance. Then, after it's done, you feel like you've accomplished something that few people will get to experience in their life time.

When we got here after being up for nearly 24 hours, we immediately started to look at the city.  We saw a lot of architecture that I think may have been as old as God, as well as learned a lot about the history.  I'll be perfectly honest here, I'm jealous of this country for the amount of history that's mixed in everything they have and everything they do.  Everywhere we went, we were being told stories of Martin Luther, the war, and reconstruction.  You can't help but respect the people and the places.

The Hostel that we stayed in had a seven person room, which everyone on the trip stayed in together.  I'm glad we got that experience because it forced us to get to know each other.  It was very close living quarters with all of our luggage in a small room that was maybe the size of two dorm rooms in the average college.  Everyone looked out for one another.  We made sure that everyone was ready to go at the right time.  We worked as a team, and that important when you're working on seeing the capital of a country.

After getting acquainted with the city, we were able to strike out on our own some.  My parents both told me repeatedly to go to the zoo, so the last day we were there, I decided I would go on the way back to the hostel from part of the infamous Berlin visit.  When everyone got off the train to switch to the next one, I stayed on the train to take it three stops up to make a different connection that would take me back to the zoo.  The train got to the second of the three stops before breaking down.  The train that followed it broke down as well, and no other trains were coming through that station that was in the middle of no where.

I stood on the platform, staring at the broken train and wondering what I was going to do.  I was very alone, and still not very comfortable with my ability to speak German.  I felt a little lost, but I took a deep breath and read the train map four times before heading back in the direction I had come from to catch a different train.  It took 45 minutes, but I finally made it to the zoo after making three connections across the city  By the time I got to the Zoo, it was closed, but the adventure on my own is one of the experiences I'm glad I was able to get. 

We had day after day of walking and bike riding that made my legs scream for rest more than anything else I have done before in my life, but looking back on the experience, I know for an absolute FACT that I would never do it any different.  I got to see sights that most people will only see in textbooks, and that is something I will never forget.