Berlin was planned on the train ride home from Gothenburg, as the excitement from the first trip was still fresh and we were already eager to travel again. At the time, booking flights for a weekend trip was a new experience for all of us so we found it a bit thrilling to work through the process for the first time. We ended up coordinating flights to Berlin, a seemingly random destination at the time, but two of us had other friends in the city so we were planning one big get together (hindsight: turns out a group of 15+ people is not conducive for exploring a new city).

We arrived in Berlin on a Friday evening and upon arrival had our first taste of a hostel. There was a stark difference between our hotel in Gothenburg, which caused a bit of a freak out among the group. After settling that situation, we went to a beer hall to meet my friends from home.

Following the beer hall, we were set on going out to experience the Berlin clubbing scene, which we had been hearing many interesting things about. As a result of poor planning, we instead spent the evening wandering the streets looking for a club that would even allow us in. We never found such a place so gave up on that mission for the night.

Saturday morning was our window to explore Berlin. We spent the day visiting the Brandenburg Gate, Holocaust Memorial, Victory Column, and a handful of other spots. The weather was freezing, which called for a few stops for warm drinks along the way.

A second attempt of venturing into the Berlin club scene was made that evening, this time we were able to find a place that allowed us non-German speakers in. It was definitely far from my favorite place or activity in the world, but at least now I can say I’ve done that.

Sunday did conclude with a nice breakfast and more relaxed approach compared to the other days. It felt much needed despite only being there for two days.

Maybe it was the cold weather, poor planning, or the fact that we focused on seeing the wrong things, but Berlin fell a bit short of expectations for our group. Nonetheless, Berlin stands out as a unique experience from my semester.

Advice to my future self: Taking the time to plan is always worth it.