I've been stuck for inspiration for my next blog for a few days, so I decided to blog about the very reason I started SwipeIRL - to take chances in real life and do real things.
With that in mind, I'm going to share with you my trip to Berlin.
After Dublin and Oslo, Berlin was my real solo trip. Dublin was a safe bet for a solo city destination because everyone spoke English. Oslo was great but I was only there for a couple of days, but Berlin was the real test. I didn't speak the language and knew nobody.
I picked Berlin because I'd heard far too many good things about it and (the most important reason) I wanted to see Drake who was performing there.
So, really Drake led me to Berlin.
I'd been to a classical music concert on my own for my 30th birthday to watch Andrea Bocelli in Dublin, but the average age of the crowd was 45+ so a young 30-something-year-old was welcomed. At Drake, I was stuck between two couples (so marvellously predictable) but it ended up being one of the best concerts I'd been to. I was singing along to his songs, I was dancing, and most importantly, I didn't care who was watching. To quote my friend Beyonce, 'I Slay... hey...'
I had no plans post concert and really, it was my first evening in Berlin. I got chatting to a group of guys, one of who was evidently interested in me. I sussed them out to be harmless boys and they suggested going to an after party at a club. After assessing them as safe and noting the taxi number and messaging it to my girls, I ended up going to a club playing some of the best RnB and Hip Hop I'd heard in a while. L and his friends were such gents, any advances from L when dancing were swiftly turned down and he soon established I was just a nice girl who enjoyed dancing and was interested in nothing more.
L was lovely, but nothing was going to happen. He had a great job in Stuttgart and was an all around nice guy who respected my boundaries, there was no attraction. The evening ended at 4 am with me jumping into a taxi, L inviting me to Stuttgart and saying, "Let's be honest, it's not because I am young, really?". At which point, I just wanted to give him a hug. No, L, it's not your age, but human beings are funny, we don't feel the feels with every single person we meet. Sorry.
During the day, I did what I love doing on solo trips, walking, sightseeing, taking photos, stopping for a cigarette break (I am not a smoker at all, but find myself smoking when I travel alone), eating at some amazing restaurants and drinking coffee and reading books.
At night, I'd make it a point to go out, either to a bar or a nice restaurant.
It was on my second night that I met another cool human being. I was recommended a popular Korean restaurant in a hipster part of Berlin by a friend in London. So, that's where I ended going. Being a solo diner, I was shoved in the corner. Luckily, with another solo diner this time. We both made a joke about how it was the naughty corner. Turns out, 'cool girl' was from Belgium and in the city for the Drake concert too. She was also pregnant, so although she couldn't join me for a drink after, she ended up recommending some great places to eat, and we ended up chatting about Drake, Berlin, and her unplanned pregnancy that she was embracing. We decided to add each other and Facebook and hopefully meet at some point in our respective cities.
Meeting 'cool girl' led me to the best Ramen I have eaten in my life. See, every meeting leads to something amazing. It's like life's jig saw puzzle.
My final night in Berlin was the most amazing. I decided to go to a comedy gig in a small pub in some obscure location in Berlin. The topic was dating. I figured, I'd fit right in, and wouldn't it be great to find out how people in different cities date? The host for the evening was a bisexual woman who'd eyed me up as soon as I walked in, and I knew this was only going to be a bad thing. And guess what? She ended up calling me to join her on stage! As you do.
To cut a long story short, the night proceeded with me meeting a nice girl from Albania who was living in Berlin, joining her and a couple of her friends at a bar, chatting to a cute American Vegan baker, leaving the American baker and heading to another bar to meet a cute friend of Albanian girl who she said I should meet, after a round of drinks and some questionable shots, me, Albanian friend's cute guy friend and another girl ended up at a electro pop underground club - by far the most bizarre experience of my life. The night ended with me getting the train at 4.30 am. Berlin is surprisingly safe, but I was sober and acutely aware of my surroundings.
In the morning, packing a suitcase full of memories and some rather interesting experiences, I bid adieu to Berlin.
My first experience of real solo travel taught me everything I tell myself - take chances, because really, what's the worst that can happen.
With that in mind, I'm going to share with you my trip to Berlin.
After Dublin and Oslo, Berlin was my real solo trip. Dublin was a safe bet for a solo city destination because everyone spoke English. Oslo was great but I was only there for a couple of days, but Berlin was the real test. I didn't speak the language and knew nobody.
I picked Berlin because I'd heard far too many good things about it and (the most important reason) I wanted to see Drake who was performing there.
So, really Drake led me to Berlin.
I'd been to a classical music concert on my own for my 30th birthday to watch Andrea Bocelli in Dublin, but the average age of the crowd was 45+ so a young 30-something-year-old was welcomed. At Drake, I was stuck between two couples (so marvellously predictable) but it ended up being one of the best concerts I'd been to. I was singing along to his songs, I was dancing, and most importantly, I didn't care who was watching. To quote my friend Beyonce, 'I Slay... hey...'
I had no plans post concert and really, it was my first evening in Berlin. I got chatting to a group of guys, one of who was evidently interested in me. I sussed them out to be harmless boys and they suggested going to an after party at a club. After assessing them as safe and noting the taxi number and messaging it to my girls, I ended up going to a club playing some of the best RnB and Hip Hop I'd heard in a while. L and his friends were such gents, any advances from L when dancing were swiftly turned down and he soon established I was just a nice girl who enjoyed dancing and was interested in nothing more.
L was lovely, but nothing was going to happen. He had a great job in Stuttgart and was an all around nice guy who respected my boundaries, there was no attraction. The evening ended at 4 am with me jumping into a taxi, L inviting me to Stuttgart and saying, "Let's be honest, it's not because I am young, really?". At which point, I just wanted to give him a hug. No, L, it's not your age, but human beings are funny, we don't feel the feels with every single person we meet. Sorry.
During the day, I did what I love doing on solo trips, walking, sightseeing, taking photos, stopping for a cigarette break (I am not a smoker at all, but find myself smoking when I travel alone), eating at some amazing restaurants and drinking coffee and reading books.
At night, I'd make it a point to go out, either to a bar or a nice restaurant.
It was on my second night that I met another cool human being. I was recommended a popular Korean restaurant in a hipster part of Berlin by a friend in London. So, that's where I ended going. Being a solo diner, I was shoved in the corner. Luckily, with another solo diner this time. We both made a joke about how it was the naughty corner. Turns out, 'cool girl' was from Belgium and in the city for the Drake concert too. She was also pregnant, so although she couldn't join me for a drink after, she ended up recommending some great places to eat, and we ended up chatting about Drake, Berlin, and her unplanned pregnancy that she was embracing. We decided to add each other and Facebook and hopefully meet at some point in our respective cities.
Meeting 'cool girl' led me to the best Ramen I have eaten in my life. See, every meeting leads to something amazing. It's like life's jig saw puzzle.
To cut a long story short, the night proceeded with me meeting a nice girl from Albania who was living in Berlin, joining her and a couple of her friends at a bar, chatting to a cute American Vegan baker, leaving the American baker and heading to another bar to meet a cute friend of Albanian girl who she said I should meet, after a round of drinks and some questionable shots, me, Albanian friend's cute guy friend and another girl ended up at a electro pop underground club - by far the most bizarre experience of my life. The night ended with me getting the train at 4.30 am. Berlin is surprisingly safe, but I was sober and acutely aware of my surroundings.
In the morning, packing a suitcase full of memories and some rather interesting experiences, I bid adieu to Berlin.
My first experience of real solo travel taught me everything I tell myself - take chances, because really, what's the worst that can happen.
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