Blocker Blog - Entry 8: Closing Remarks

 

A semester seems like a long time where many things can happen, but in retrospect, I could only do so much where I am left with a yearning to do more. A semester abroad in Germany was an incredible eye-opening experience where I was able to learn so much about Berlin as a city as well as about myself. In having the intentions of majoring in Art History, being able to visit so many institutions in a short amount of time left me with incredible insight on how much of a world it is where many works of art, historical or modern, have made a home in renowned organizations. Nevertheless, it has also been a great opportunity to be critical of their practices or at least to question their motives and how such motives maintain certain institutional legacies.

Upon first glance, I was not really knowledgeable about Germany’s history, my education up to this point only taught me turning points that lead to what we know of the country today. However it was through my classes at my program, IES, that really told me some of the gritty details of the complicated and complex story that surrounds this area of continental Europe. Being in a city that dates back from the early 13th century, Berlin is a dense topic that I had the privilege to learn about and more so live in for a whole season. Though it was gloomy, I was still able to briefly see the change to spring. Moreover, to walk the same streets that many educators have taught me about in the past felt surreal at times; places like the Brandenburg Gate or the Berlin Wall were finally not just a picture on a postcard but rather actual places where I was able to walk around. I was even more taken away by the places that I did not know of; such places would be Museum Island and Viktoriapark. It was all new and familiar at the same time. As I saw the highlights, I also saw the darkness of the city that made me think about difficult topics; places like the Topography of Terrors or Sachsenhausen make many of the Holocaust documentaries that I have seen a reality, a reality that makes me reflect on how we should remember our past mistakes as people.

Berlin being a large metropolitan city, I did see many people speak English; had I only been here for a couple of days, I would have made the assumption that the city is very much like any other metropolitan city back home. However, my time here has made a distinct impression in my head. It is through the simplest of details that I can say that the city has unique features and vibes that you just cannot find anywhere else in the US. For one the transportation system here is like no other; there are many ways to get around despite the fact that the system might be faulty at times. There is a sense of trust between residents and the government and between residents themselves; for example there are many open markets where people leave their stuff in the open. Going back to the public transportation system, there are no gates or security that restricts anyone's passage onto taking the bus, U-Bahn or S-Bahn; though there are rules that must be followed if you want to avoid heavy fines. Rules are other things; Berliners love rules!

All of my time in Berlin was really a learning experience; it was an experience that came with highs and lows with the weather sometimes not helping with my state of mind when things were tough. Nevertheless I persisted and was able to become more independent than before. For being given the privilege of being in a homestay setting, I was able to really dive into the city atmosphere; For my host family it was a pleasure and honor getting to know their stories and how it aligns with their country’s history. I was able to cook for myself and my host family dishes that would have required help from my family back in Mexico, but now I feel I can get the hang of it. Exploring the entity of Berlin and much less of Germany would take multiple semesters or even multiple lifetimes if I am being honest, but I am in all seriousness thankful for my experience with the time I was given to enjoy it.