Long Time Gone

Between Christmas preparations, Christmas, Italy, New Year's, and visitors- I have been a long time gone. Christmas was marvelous and Italy was warm. In Rome I went about without a scarf or hat and when I first arrived in Venice- I wore a cardigan! Skies were blue and it was hard to believe it was winter.


I spent a few days with my Uncle Mike, Aunt Sam, their boys Noah and Abe, and my Grandparents- celebrating Christmas and playing with my active cousins. So much energy! But not surprising, they are 10 and 8 year old boys. Day after Christmas, we headed to Rome- it was gorgeous. Warm, sunny, and full of exciting buildings, etc. I'll need to go back some day, but there is so much to see!


Upon immediate return to Berlin, the blue skies kept for a few days- it was bitter cold, but beautiful and sunny. By New Year's Eve, the damp cold of before returned- this time much more cold than before I had left for Italy. And New Year's day, Melissa, the Grandparents and I awoke to snow. SNOW! Not much, but snow nonetheless. New Year's Eve in Berlin was an experience- to say the least. I was at Potsdamer Platz, it was a veritable war zone. Everyone had rocket launched fireworks and firecrackers that they threw every which way. The debris are still present to some extent on the streets of Berlin.


Around 1am, I got onto a train with some friends to head into Kreuzberg, another area of Berlin. The trains where completely packed with people singing, drinking bear, and celebrating the New Year. It was insane, when Melissa and I got on a train to go home around 4.30am- they were still quite full. That day, around noon, when Melissa and I went to meet the Grandparents, I spotted some people just tredging home.

Now my world has quieted down, visitors are gone and I am regaining energy to finish off my semester.


I am surrounded by light snowfall and the cold- New Year's resolve don't fail me now!