My plan was to stay the full month of August in Nijmegen. Unfortunately my AirBnB host cancelled my stay and I had to come up with Plan B. One of my good friends asked me if I would want to watch their house and cats, while they are on vacation. Sure thing! Another good friend had a similar scenario, so for the majority of August I’m playing around with cats and chasing away burglars. I always enjoy my time in Nijmegen. It's familiar, feels good to be there, most of my friends live there, and it feels like home.
Seneca wrote two thousand years ago:
Everywhere is nowhere. When a person spends all his time in foreign travel, he ends by having many acquaintances, but no friends.
I’ve been pondering over that quote for some time, wondering what effect my constant travel has on relationships. Then I realised that I’m not looking for new best friends for life. I feel blessed to say "I already have them". And so I want to spend as much quality time with them as I can. The quantity of contact moments may be low, but the quality is high. In past months I’ve learned how to be fully present in the moment. Don't worry about what was, or about what is to come. The only time is now. It makes time pass by much slower, and makes moments more joyful.
At the same time I have a strong urge to spend time alone. Traveling abroad allows me to experience how different cultures behave and live and so I can determine which elements I want to put in my bag. I’m reading and listening to podcasts more. I am getting to know myself better. I find that the more I learn about what is important to me, the better I can make sure I live everyday according to those values. Or as Joshua and Ryan from the Minimalists like to say:
If you align your short term actions with your long term values, happiness will follow as a byproduct.
It does. I’m doing well.
And so I find myself in Berlin this week. It’s a 6-hour drive from Nijmegen. My AirBnB is located in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, a quiet area with lots of artistic individuals. It’s about a 20 minute walk from Alexanderplatz. Almost every morning I walk for miles to explore.
I met up with Csilla, a girl I went to high school with. I hadn’t seen her for 14 (!) years. I also met some new people from Australia, France, the United States and South Korea, while enjoying great techno in a club with an interesting name: 'Suicide Circus'.
Berlin has a great vibe. I really like being here. There are some beautiful areas with historical sights and political buildings. The graffiti on the remainders of the Berlin Wall at East-Side Gallery is astonishing. Checkpoint Charlie is nothing more than a great photo opportunity for visitors. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe makes you quiet and is designed to produce an uneasy and confusing atmosphere.
Then there are some areas that could use some attention. Old and dirty houses and bridges, (illegal) graffiti everywhere. I’ve learned to appreciate things that are not perfect. “Wabi-sabi”, as the Japanse like to call it. The beauty of imperfection.
There also seems to be a sense of community that I didn’t expect in such a large city. I’m sure this isn’t true for the whole city, but let me tell you what I’ve seen: folks leave empty bottles next to the trashcans, so homeless people don’t have to go through the trash, to collect them for money. I’ve seen people bring their own cup to coffee shops to minimise waste, and there are “refugees welcome" signs everywhere. I think that is beautiful. I think humans are beautiful.** People make a place more gorgeous than impressive buildings ever can.
**As I finish this story, I learn about another terrorist attack in Barcelona. I guess not all humans are beautiful..
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