I feel like my instinct to stay put is probably in reaction to a family that doesn't seem to be able to remain in one place for more than a generation. Lithuania, South Africa, England, Australia... all in a century. International travel was, consequently, very much part of my childhood... but maybe that's why I took against it. All those goodbyes.
So when my friend Claire suggested that I might like to come and visit her in while she and her partner Mike are living in Berlin, no one was more surprised than me that the idea immediately appealed. I mentioned to a few friends that I might head to Berlin this year. The more I talked about the trip, the more real it became. The clincher was when I told my friend Karen, in London, that I was planning to come over in the summer, on the way back from Berlin. Suddenly I was committed. Karen was excited, Claire was excited. I was excited. Me! Travelling! To Berlin!
Then, unexpectedly, I was offered six months work editing Dance Australia magazine in Sydney. So now, not only was I going to be travelling overseas, I was going to be travelling overseas whilst living interstate. Nina the homebody!
29-30 August: Travelling to Berlin
Felt so calm on day of departure that I began to worry that I wasn't appropriately anxious. Then realised futility of being anxious about not being anxious.
At airport made unexpected (and extravagant) purchase of wireless noise-cancelling headphones. Not sure what came over me but suddenly couldn't face 24 hours of crappy sound quality.
Also bought expensive (although not remotely in same ball park as headphones) memory foam neck pillow. Slightly dizzied by pre-travel expenses, but, as it turned out, both completely worth it. Neck pillow has a clip on front which secures pillow so that head is in a kind of brace and cannot loll. Had best sleep I have ever had on long-haul flight. Can only assume it is because I am normally jerked awake when my head falls forward.
As for headphones... the absolute joy of being able to actually hear tv and movie sound tracks! Revelation!
Consequently flights quite pleasant aside from HIDEOUS vegetarian meals, one of which was a salad sandwich. As in bread, lettuce and tomato. Only meal between Sydney and Heathrow containing protein was breakfast (barely-cooked scrambled eggs). British Airways, please note. Vegetarian does not mean a person who only eats vegetables. Am quite partial to protein. Was starving. In desperation went to investigate snacks at about 3am. Was informed by unfriendly staff that BA doesn't provide snacks. Well, quite. I mean it's only an eight hour flight followed by a thirteen hour flight. Passengers should really just harden up.
Side note - Highly recommend new film "Sing Street", set in 1980s, about group of Dublin teenagers who form band.
"Don't think of it as a long-haul flight. Think of it as a MOVIE MARATHON!"
- Dr Paul Joshua, 2016
Met at airport by Claire, bearing welcoming smile and welcoming pretzel. Take train back to Claire's. Berlin quite different to what I was expecting. Light, spacious. Streets wide and gracious. Was expecting it to be old and dark. Like London. Nothing like London.
Up to Claire's flat to dump suitcase. Flat is lovely, very light and bright and facing central courtyard, in which grows a beautiful tree, species unknown (to me). Leafy.
Claire has borrowed me a bicycle and we ride to a local market. There are special bike lanes and, unlike Perth's bike lanes, these do not end abruptly and people do not park/drive/walk in them. Also helmets are not compulsory so my freshly washed hair (my post flight obsession) can air dry.
At market buy corn cob and golzeme and sit in sun by canal to eat. Feel very happy. I am in Berlin! Eating corn! By a canal!
Buy a leather purse that will be good for holding keys and phone. Except, as it turns out, not big enough for phone. Seems like a design flaw, but then when I go for walks I like to leave my phone at home and just take keys and ipod nano. So still handy.
Ride home via Berlin wall! Walk along length of the Eastside Gallery to look at art.
Stop to buy drinks. Discover joys of pre-mixed shandy. Take drinks to park because there are no laws against street drinking here. Sit in late afternoon sun, drinking shandy.