PS: Consider these travel stories as entries from my journal. Written in haste, I hope you find enjoyment in their spontaneity and rawness.
You can tell it’s different here. The way the air shifts from the smoky haze of people smoking together to the freshness of nature’s embrace is striking.
It’s been two weeks since I first set foot on German soil, and I’ve been collecting experiences like mementos. I spent my initial days in Heidelberg bundled in warm clothing, exploring the city with Shalv. My first meal in Germany was at Starbucks in Frankfurt, where I enjoyed croissants and a latte macchiato with oat milk. Back in Nigeria, I’d never have considered croissants more than a snack. But since I’ve stayed here for some days now, I almost feel like a tourist, eating croissants and bagel for breakfast, with a cuppa tea or coffee please.
I try to approach each experience with the eager eyes of a newcomer. Everything is fresh, exhilarating, almost like seeing the world through the lens of a child. I’m excited, enthused, exhilarated. I had never seen such a diverse gathering of people with different skin colours; it was a stark contrast to what I’m accustomed to back home. It’s not the complexion that excites me, but the immersion in a culture so different from my own, so rich with diverse experiences.
Things are different here, but not ‘bad different.’ Just not the same. In my first days, I sought something familiar in the faces of the people I encountered — a smile, a nod, an acknowledgement, something that tells me I could find a community here. But I didn’t see anything. I didn’t get a nod, and I couldn’t find anything in their eyes, perhaps, because everyone is in a rush in this country.
My first jolt of culture shock when I arrived in Germany hit at Terminal D, where I saw several people smoking together in one place. Someone was smoking in front of some kids, and I thought, ‘these kids are inhaling second-hand smoke. How is this normal?’ As an overly health-conscious woman, I felt an immediate need to remove myself from what I perceived to be a hazardous environment. ‘How is this normal?’ I asked myself again as the smoke wafted through the doors I was using as a shield.
But when I arrived in Berlin two Fridays ago, the pace quickly picked up, and it almost felt like I was in Lagos again, except that the sun didn’t set at 5:00 PM and rise at 7:00 AM in Lagos as it did in Berlin. I had forgotten to bring my phone charger, so I wondered where I could purchase one. Thankfully, the hotel receptionist came to my rescue, kindly offering a charger I could use throughout my stay in the hotel.
The next hotel we stayed at was the Holiday Inn in Prenzlauer Allee, Berlin. I was not on leave from the 7th to the 9th of November, so I worked during these days. On Wednesday, the 8th of November, a fire scare sent the hotel guests sprinting outside for safety. After the incident, I finished my work from the lounge.
I had wanted to get water, but, frightened by the recent events, I stayed put, shuffling my feet and immersing myself in more work. It wasn’t until I looked up that I noticed a hotel attendant with the most beautiful smile and kindest eyes, whom I’d later come to know as ‘Betty,’ approaching me with a glass of water. ‘I thought you might like some water. You’ve been so busy working,’ she said with a gentle smile. My heart leapt, and I captured the moment with a photo.
The next day, when I came downstairs with a water bottle, Betty approached my table again, this time with an empty glass adorned with a sprig of lemon. ‘I saw you brought your water, so I brought a cup for you,’ she said. My work leave started the following day. When I came downstairs to meet a new friend, I saw her in the lobby. After exchanging pleasantries, she remarked, ‘I hope you are not working today, so you can take time to see the city.’
My experiences at the hotels in Berlin, and those outside, including meeting new friends, reuniting with old friends, learning about the world through our first Saturday tour in Berlin, and exploring new cultures through foods, experiences, and sights, have been incredibly humbling and gratifying.
There’s much more happening around us than we realise, and this is what travel does; it reveals the vastness of life around us, and helps us see our place in the world by positioning us within a global context, highlighting our similarities despite our diverse backgrounds.
Through my journey in Europe, I am continually discovering a new reality, realising that this adventure is not just about exploring Europe, but also about rediscovering myself. It’s about finding familiarity in the unfamiliar, meeting people — that is truly seeing them, and learning that home isn’t just a place, but a sense of belonging that deepens with each new experience.
I share the highlights of my adventures in Europe on my Instagram stories. You can follow my journey through this link.
The winged time traveller 