The Jewish Memorial. It was enormous, and really moving. All different size stones, and from ground level you can't see how tall they are. We also stood on the bunker where Hitler committed suicide, saw Checkpoint Charlie, and the German parliament.
One of the parts left of the Berlin Wall. There's also another area, the longest maintained section, where artists from around the world have painted murals. Really inspiring.
The famous TV tower in eastern Berlin.
Claire, another American assistant in Lure, and I with Natalie from England. We met her our touristy pub crawl which turned out to be a very memorable night filled with people from all over Europe. We're drinking a beer that was brewed in Berlin. We tried a few different quintessentially German beers. Perhaps one too many?
Claire and I with Sofia who was from Spain. We met on the four hour walking tour of the city. It was so fun and super informative (and freezing).

So there are some pictures of Berlin. It was just an unreal experience. It is my most favorite city that I have ever visited -- apart from the fact that all the words I heard were impossible combinations of consonants. I was inspired to learn German after being there though, it's such an impenetrable seeming language. I thought it sounded like a record being played backwards. The city in its current form is just so young, and bursting with young people and ideas. Simultaneously, it's so rich in history and in culture. Such a stimulating and ever-changing place to be.

So besides becoming fluent in German, I went on a long walking tour of the city, visited the Berlin Wall in several different locations, went to a TECHNO club that didn't close until 11AM, visited a former concentration camp 35km north of Berlin, went to the Jewish Museum, and mulled around various farmers' and flea markets. I loved every minute I spent there.

Now I'm back in Lure, and happy to be here. It felt like I was going back to my cozy little small town home. I like that I'll be here for about a month, then have another two weeks to travel, then another month, then travel. It's seems to be a perfectly punctuated academic year.

I also got confirmation that I will in fact be a National Wildlife Federation delegate at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change. I can't believe that I have this opportunity to be there to witness history happening, and hopefully changing for the better. I'll be in Denmark December 15-20, then Paris for a few days near Christmas time, and I don't know after that. I may go to Spain/Morocco with Anna and Heidi.

That's all for now, I apologize for the length. All my love.

Sam