First week reflections...

Being in Berlin is like putting on an old and beloved pair of jeans. It hopefully still fits, it looked great then and hopefully does now, is comfortable, familiar, bespeckled with past adventures (or, if your messy or don't do laundry, past meals). You feel at home. Sometimes you notice that certain bits have gotten bigger or smaller, that certain bits perhaps don't fit as well as they did, perhaps you notice that they fit better than ever. In the end it's familiar, it's a little bit different but still nice.

It's odd, though, not because it's Berlin or returning to past experiences or whatnot. That part is lovely; the house is the same, the people are, if possible, friendlier, and I am enjoying it very much even without the shiny newness it had when I first arrived two years ago, fresh off the plane. The odd part has been how I have spent my time.

Anyone who has spoken with me recently prior to my departure is aware of how busy I was. How busy I needed to be. I considered it a lazy day if I managed to make it to 10 AM without having been 'productive,' ('read: running, cleaning, shopping, half a paper written, etc.; usually all of the above). I prefer having accomplished things, whatever that may mean, to being lazy. In fact, I had arranged my day such that I no longer knew how to be lazy, how to just sit back and relax (much to the frustration of relatives, friends, and anyone staying at my place who wanted to sleep later than 8 AM). So the surprising thing is how much I am not only NOT getting upset over,--actually enjoying, if you'll believe--doing Nothing. As in, I still get up early, still go running, shower, all that. Then I sit and read, till someone gets up. I sit with them while they eat breakfast, I read some more, wait for the next one, perhaps I play guitar, listen to music, write in my notebook, go for walks... at some point, usually around noon, we get around to the Day's Activity, which may be going to a gallery, running errands, going shopping, whatever. Then back to the house for dinner, then swimming or a movie or whatever else we're up to.

The long and the short of it is, I'm taking a vacation, an actual one. The last two weeks before I left were awesome and crazy and I slept very little for much of it, but this is the other kind of vacation. I have no hurry, to do anything, really. It's great.

The other odd thing is living with a family that isn't my own. It's been awhile since I was in that position. Heck, it's been awhile since I've lived with my own, even. This week is as long as I've had an opportunity to spend with my parents all year. I'm used to living alone, and though I share a house with others, I do my own shopping, cleaning, cooking, eating, television watching, driving, whatever. With Mason there it was a bit different, but I basically did what I want, when I wanted. I still can, here, but there are other people. Decisions are made communitarily, meals are eaten together, if possible, things are done in multiple and in company. It takes a bit getting used to.

I'm also not used to being anyone's kid. I am the adopted daughter here, and while no one babies me or tries to 'raise' me as they would a kid, it's a different relationship than I have with most adults, and one I haven't experienced to such an extent recently. I'll get the hang of it.

But now there's watermelon in white wine, and I don't want to miss out....

Grüße aus Berlin

Cheese: +
Laugengebäck: +++
Boutique shopping: +
Rain while riding a bike & wet bicycle seats: -
Getting lost while running (again): -
Leaving Berlin in a few days: */-