There was one question this week though which has stayed on my mind – “Do you get homesick?”
I’ve been here almost two months now which, in the grand scheme of things, is not very long. Sometimes it feels like I arrived barely two minutes ago and at other times it feels like I have lived here forever. This morning, for example, as I walked through a sort of farmer’s market which takes place in the square at the bottom of my street, before getting a coffee from my favourite cafe, I felt completely content and at-home.
Nevertheless, there are times when I feel down. I feel lonely or I miss my dog, my friends, and my family, and other much smaller and far less significant things like Yorkshire Tea. Thankfully these moments are rare and fleeting but they do arise.
When this happens, I find something enjoyable to do which will distract me
Most likely it is something simple like making plans to meet friends, or visiting a book store, or ticking off a tourist attraction that I want to see from my list, or going to one of the many charity or vintage shops here, or finding a market, or watching a film, or doing some cooking, or trying a new restaurant.
That is perhaps my favourite thing about Berlin – there is always something to do, something new to see, or a recommendation to follow up, and it is easy to keep busy until the feelings pass.
And if that doesn’t work, I beg my sister to send some more pictures of Teddy - our dog.