One of the best things about Berlin were the hostel I stayed at and the people I met. The experience wouldn't have been the same without these two things. I want to thank Mark, "Jamie", "Doug", and Larkin for making my time in Berlin unforgettable!
I was lucky enough to get a 4-person dorm in Berlin that was on the top floor with (1) a shower that could fit 5 people and (2) a balcony! Was the nicest hostel I've stayed in thus far! It also reminded me of being back in Lincoln Tower freshman year of college :) I felt like I wanted to hang a dry-erase board on the door to our room!
The hostel had a rooftop bar which was a great place for us to start the evening each night before heading out on the town. There was a great atmosphere, with everyone hanging around and meeting new friends. I've also learned that while traveling there, I no longer actually had to ask anyone where they were from because 97% of the time, the answer would be Australia. I'm convinced there is no one left in Australia and they are all currently traveling around Europe. One of the games that the boys loved and also excelled at in the hostel was The Bucket Game, where you threw Euro into a pitcher for free shots -- I've never seen so many shots in a row!
Additionally, the German humor continued into the hostel bar, with the following tip cup. This made me very happy, so of course, I had to tip :)
Before heading to Berlin, I had heard stories about how great the nightlife was there - and I'm not going to lie, I wasn't at all disappointed -- well, except for the music, as despite spending a few months in Europe, I am still NOT a fan of house music. AND, I reconfirmed that EVERYONE loves pink sunglasses :)
Besides the nightlife, it was also nice exploring the city with other people and each day I rented a bike with someone to go see the sights. One of the best days (similar to how my favorite activity in Paris was sharing a bottle of wine in the Luxembourg Gardens), I had was relaxing in the big park. Mark and I went to explore there and were fortunate enough to come across a playground :) There's nothing better than releasing your inner child -- and I'm not going to lie, I can't remember the last time I had so much fun on the slide (once I finally got to the top, note: these things were not made for full-size adults, what a pity)
And, better yet - Mark introduced me to a new playground toy that I had never seen before! I could have played on this thing for hours!
In fact, I had such a great time in Berlin that I extended my stay there by an extra two nights as I wasn't ready to leave :)
