At least when I think of Europe, I immediate think: City of Lights, Louvre, Big Ben and the Amalfi Coast. I never really thought of Berlin as one of the top places that I must visit in Europe. But, last summer, I had the opportunity to stay there for a whole 2 months. And I loved every moment of it. Here's some reasons why:
1. Beer!
I am NOT a beer fan. I do not like beer and all their variations that come with it. But, Berlin's beer? LOVE it. They have this one called the Berliner Kindl and it just mind blew me. It was so delicious and that is usually not something I'd say about beer in general, but this is something you should def try. Also, just convenience store beer works just as well.
2. Drinking Everywhere
You can drink in public in the parks, outside on benches, while walking, just basically everywhere and it is so nice. I only realised this great privilege until I came back to the US and couldn't do that anymore (sadly). You'll see glass bottle everywhere on the streets because if you bring back one to the supermarket, they'll give you back a small sum of money for recycling! Now that's a win-win situation.
3. Club-Mate
This is literally the drink I had more than water everyday while I was there. It will either blow your mind or disgust your tastebuds. It's one of those either you like or hate it kind of drinks and I absolutely loved. It's caffeinated, meaning that most German kids/teens use this as a source of coffee/soda drink thing and it's amazing.
4. Ubahn
The Ubahn literally takes you everywhere in the Berlin city area. It is quite on time and efficient, even though there are so stuffy during rush hour and have no AC on them (Imagine getting in a carriage FILLED with people in the hot, humid weather in the summer.) But, the best part: you buy one monthly pass for 80 euros and ride the Ubahn endlessly and get your money's worth within a week. Uber who?
5. Individualistic Lifestyle
People in Berlin really reinforce this individualistic lifestyle, as in, if you do things alone that are usually preferred to do with someone else, for example eating at a restaurant and shopping in a mall. I really learned that doing activities alone is not a bad thing, we just stigmatise it and we all feel self conscious at some point even though most strangers don't even care.
There you have it! Things about Berlin that I absolutely loved and thought everyone should be expecting when heading over there.
