What to say about the capital of Germany… I just got done saying how Prague is my fave city visited but I may be changing my mind. Prague has more to offer the tourist and is really awesome but Berlin is a city that gets under your skin. It is sort of like Beijing and Bangkok I think. Beijing is very cool, great sites, somewhat compact, geared to a tourist, etc. but Bangkok is the city that gets under your skin. I could see myself on a long stay in Berlin.
Here, you have to really work hard scratching the city’s surface to find what the city can really offer. Prague just packages it up and hands it to you. Berlin is so much more modernized, fast paced, and the like but yet when you really look, talk about history. Capital of the nation divided by cold war, the nation that started two world wars, the nation that has been both the occupied and the occupier several times in modern history. Really, really distinct culture and historical attitude. It is working hard to remember and at the same time put the past behind it to lead Germany back into the big time on the world stage.
Berlin, Munich, and Frankfurt are three amazingly different cities… think NYC, San Francisco, and Vegas or something. It would be imperative to go to at least these three (and more I’m sure) to consider yourself as having seen Germany. Anyway, Berlin is really worth the trip (one few tourists make relative to other European destinations like Paris and London). I can’t believe I consider not making the stop, almost messed up on that one for sure. I am leaving tomorrow afternoon I think for Warsaw to meet David and the others for Business & You. Makes me a bit sad to think I’m on to my final destination before the flight back over the pond. 
Travelling and being here has reminded me how much I love doing this. I could easily spend a year or two or three doing nothing but backpacking the planet and love every minute. It helps me keep life in perspective a bit I think… career is critical in life I think we can agree, but at times we must ask if it is enabling you to do what you love or impeding it. A good thing to always keep in mind I think when looking for that elusive thing humans call happiness.
Back to Poland or bust!!
March 28th, 2006 at 2:53 pm
Dan, That’s a question (the “happiness” thing) we all work on. I wish you could merely figure it out and let me copy your answer but it doesn’t work that way. I would only think it is wrong and it probably is for me. With age, one can use the excuse that it is too late to worry about all that now. Young, educated, good income and no wife or kids sounds like making things simple but with plenty of cool options. Wrong, my simple mind could never have juggled that many choices…..Good luck….Love, Dad
March 29th, 2006 at 2:26 am
I guess if it were easy to answer, you would miss out on the journey of figuring it out, which is really probably the best part of all I guess. Thanks Dad.