We unintentionally booked our time in Berlin to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. On November 9, 1989 thousands of people stormed the streets to witness history. A monumental display of the fall of communism to capitalism, of division to unity. A physical barrier was constructed to divide the city. Thirty years ago people my age left their homes to be apart of this history. To see the wall come down. At the time those of us younger than 30 were not even a thought in a mind, we were non-existent. We were born into a world that never saw this kind of overt division between east and west. The fall of the wall thirty years ago is an action that became a symbol that the world will never forget.
Guarded by one of the remaining sections of the wall, The Museum of Terror is free to the public for entry. Inside is an array of displays detailing the horrific events leading up to and during World War Two. There were so many atrocities conceived in this place. Hitler’s army established its headquarters in the heart of Berlin, and what followed spread throughout Europe. The intention of this movement was genocide, to rid a place of a certain kind of people. It is a purpose that I hope nowhere else in the world 
will repeat. Hence, learning about both the Wall and the history of Germany aided in my understanding of the current political rhetoric in my own home country, and what to be aware and leery of.
As we meandered through the memorial to the fallen Jews of the holocaust, I was struck by the simplicity and the complexity of the space. A city block filled with cement rectangular blocks of varying height in a perfect grid. You turn a corner and people randomly appear and disappear, for a fleeting moment you are not alone. The enormity of the deep grey envelops around you and your thoughts drift to the enormity of the atrocities committed during the Second World War. In looking at each block, I saw the ashes of the innocent, the unfulfilled hopes and dreams, and the unimaginable evils. Though only 5.8 Kilometers away this grim tribute to the past is contrasted with colorful creativity. 
On the walls of the East Side Gallery, vibrant murals live to demonstrate the immense expression of freedom which accompanied the fall of the wall. As I admired the famous mural of Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker making out, and of bright words that read “Save the World” and a hand making a peace sign out of prison bars, I was reminded of the hope which rose from dissent.
In Berlin today it is about far more than just history. Learning from the past, it is a place that celebrates human rights and diversity. This also translates to a robust social scene filled with people from all over the world. Here we made friends with the people in our room – 206!
England, Germany, Australia, Mexico, Argentina, Australia, Argentina and Germany — And of course the two of us from Colorado, USA. We were a hodgepodge of a crew, with little more uniting us than an eight-person room. Within a few hours, we went from complete strangers unaware of each other’s existence to friends intent on having a great time together – even if we were navigating the city like a herd of turtles. On night one we went from Bergen Gate to see the lights, to a grocery store in the Berlin HBF, McDonald’s, to the table around our room and finally out to a dancing bar. Night two it took forever to reunite by the Bergen gate for the concert, then we had to prepare ourselves for the clubs, we waited in queue and only two of our group of 8 made it in —Julianne will probably forever hold it over my head that she made it into the club while I got bounced. We still found a fun place to dance away to the end of the night.
The connections we made with the 206 crew are ones that I will cherish for a long time. When I remember my time in Berlin I will remember lagers, murals, chocolate cake, outdoor markets, cappuccinos, second-hand stores, and bratwurst. But more importantly, I will remember the people I met and befriended, the stories I heard and the various tidbits of information I learned. Though I already knew this prior to my travels, I love the reminder that people persevere and confront adversity to follow their dreams. Whether their dream is to pursue playing and listening to techno as a DJ, traveling as much as possible, escaping their country to live in a diverse place or becoming an advocate for the vulnerable. I only gained a small glimpse into these friend’s stories and they only a small glimpse into mine. I suppose though that is a part of the beauty of impermanence.
