It was time to bid farewell to India. I’m definitely going to miss my dysfunctional family but other than that there was nothing holding me back. I have learned a lot during the past three months from yoga, basic sewing, family drama, being grateful and humble everyday, mothers unconditional love, and living each moment as if it was my last.
I treated my sisters and our very close childhood friend for Afternoon Tea at St. Regis Hotel to celebrate our lifelong friendship. The ambiance, decor, tea, appetizers and desserts were simply scrumptious. It was a perfect backdrop to relax, cherish our time together and laugh a lot.
The next few days were jam packed with social visits to my maternal Uncle’s home, my sisters’ in-laws, and my Moms best friends home who would have been very upset if I didn’t visit them before I left India.
It was time to pack my bags again for the next adventure. My Mom had made some special treats for me and I didn’t say no. When I was sick in Ladakh, her home made snacks which she had packed for me were a life saver. She wanted to make more but I had to remind her the baggage weight limit and my desire to go back to my usual healthy diet. Also, she was not feeling well and I didn’t want her to spend hours in the kitchen making stuff for me, when she should have been resting. I’m grateful for the TLC my Mom showers on me whenever I visit her. Nothing compares to Mom’s love.
My next stop was Berlin where I’ll be spending the month of May. Why Berlin?
Well, I wanted to learn a new language this year so I decided to learn Deutsche (German). I have heard that it’s a tough language to learn so I wanted to give it a test drive before coming to any conclusion. I’ve been to Berlin couple of times in the past and, honestly it has not overtly impressed me, but the locals do like my dark hair and skin, so that’s a plus when it comes to dating. It might not be the most beautiful European city but there’s a lot happening in the startup and art scene, so I decided to give it a last chance. Whether I’ll add it to my list of cities that I could potentially move to one day or strike it off the list, well, we will just have to wait and see.
Just like San Francisco, finding an apartment to rent in a nice area is not an easy task. As more people are moving here, there has been housing shortage. I had tried Facebook groups and other recommended websites, but most turned out to be either scammers or not in the nice area. I tried Airbnb but the monthly rent was exorbitantly priced. I turned my attention to MisterBandB. I was able to find a room to rent in a two bedroom apartment in Bulowstraße. My landlord was renting out his spare guest room. It had modern touches with a big king size bed and a balcony that overlooked the garden. I liked the idea of being surrounded by greenery. I was able to negotiate the monthly rate which ended up being 850 Euros ($960). A bit higher than what I had anticipated for a shared apartment but after analyzing my budget, I figured out that it was doable. I’ll just have to cut some corners here or there, or get a part time gig. I prepared a list of 3 language schools who I’ll be interviewing in person to find out which one would be a good fit for my needs.
I had to wake up at 3:30am for my flight at 6:30am. My Mom and Dad insisted that they would come to drop me off at the airport. I would have preferred to take Uber rather than disturb their sleep but I didn’t want to take their excitement away of sending me off.
I got to the airport on time, checked in my luggage and, thank God, it was not overweight this time along. As I was walking towards my gate, I heard someone call my name. I looked back and it was Miss Vanita, my private tutor, who I’ve known since I was a kid. We were planning to meet but it didn’t pan out due to our schedule conflicts. It’s funny that whenever I visit India, I always happen to run into her out of chance, usually when we both are on the go. We talked for quiet some time before it was time to board the flight. How strange that we were on the same plane! I had a very short connection time in Istanbul so I had to rush and didn’t get to say her goodbye. I’m sure we will end up meeting somewhere again soon.
After 12 hours, I landed in Berlin. A bit stinky and tired as well. Since, I can never sleep on flights, ended up watching couple of movies. I have to say that Berlin’s immigration and customs process is a breeze. As you get off the flight, the immigration officer kiosk is right there waiting for you. No reason to walk miles and wait in never ending lines as in other airports around the world. Within ten minutes, I cleared the immigration and customs, and the baggage claim area was just outside the custom exit area. I picked up my bags and followed the signs towards the bus pickup area.
I took the TXL bus from the airport and after few stops transferred to another bus. After a 15 min ride, I got off at Bulowstraße train station. From there, it was a five minute walk to the flat but with my two heavy bags, it felt like ten minutes. I finally arrived at my destination – my flat for the next 30 days.
The flat was exactly as it was advertised – clean with modern Ikea style decor. Meljo welcomed and guided me towards my room. I had completely forgotten that on Sundays, except restaurants everything was closed. I was too exhausted to venture out. Unpacked my bags, took a hot shower, had a light snack from the assortment of options my Mom had packed for me over a cup of hot tea, and it was time to hit the sack.
I fell asleep in a jiffy, anticipating what the next day has in stored for me.
