Life Lately

Spring seems to come in short spurts around Berlin. It goes from warm days of dresses, sandals, and ice cream cones to chilly fall-like days again. Since my apartment is level with the ground, I often feel decieved by the weather and temperature. My apartment is 10 degrees cooler than it is outside and lately it has been warmer and more humid outside than in. Each day I have to take out my trash, check the mail, or just simply walk outside and spin around to figure out what I should wear. I'm sure it is a bit amussing for my neighbors. 

Yesterday, part of my house church family invited me to tag along for a day at the beach. It was an amazing, relaxing, and much needed time away from the city. As many of you know, I love road trips. So they could said we are driving 5 hours with no purpose and I would have tagged along. Nonetheless, we traveled 3 hours north to an island town of Ückeritz. It was the perfect getaway- with a mostly empty beach all to ourselves. I found it to cool and breezy for a swim, as I was bundled in a sweatshirt, vest, and scarf; but the kids found the ocean begging them to enter and they obliged. Before making the trip back to Berlin, we stopped at the sweetest German restuarant complete with schnitzel and fresh white asparagus dishes. I am loving this seasonal menus! Right now, strawberries and white asparagus are the hit. I had the white asparagus soup- so delicious. 

 

Road trips like this remind me so very much of PA. Once you escape the city limits, Germany really does look like PA with the lush, green forest and hilly highways. I even saw a deer on our way home. I swear I always see a deer. I long to drive- it always happens this time of year. I want summer, I want to drive, I want to hang out with my friends, I want to eat Grandma's cooking, I want to roadtrip with my dad, and I want cuddle time with my sisters. It will all come soon. Less than 70 days until I go home for summer holidays. 

In the past weeks, I have taken advantage of the good weather by bike riding, eating outside, and escaping to Wannsee for a boat cruise. I have found a new favorite Italian place. I absolutely love love this sweet, sweet family owned restaurant. The father is the most joyous cook I have ever seen. He greets everyone and you feel so welcomed there. I truly feel like I found a piece of Italy in Berlin. He has a very simple menu with about six pasta dishes, a meat dish or two, and a few desserts. He also offers a top notch salad that you can order like you want. For myself, I can NOT say no to his truffel pasta dish or the sausage pasta dish. My mouth waters thinking about this. It has been my favorite place to go after work with my friend. She lives nearby and its not too awful far from my place.

As for school, we have had more days off than on in the month of May including our class trip. Our class trip this year took place at Kiez Hölzerner See. I didn't do too much research on our destination- I knew our plans, I knew our accomendation but I didn't search photos. So when we arrived I got thrown into a dejavu situation. About 6 years ago, I was there at Hölzerner See to work for Yo Yo Camps, my summer in Germany. It was so trippy to be there again even sleeping in the same hut. Crazy! We got so lucky to have warm, beautiful weather. 

Well, today is my rest day for working out. I am going to go foam roll- I hate that! I don't know if you have ever done it but it's SO painful. I sometimes cry. Then, I better head off to bed- back to work tomorrow. This last week was our last break until July 21. The long haul starts now. 

xoxoxo